Common Kestrel DSC_1328
Common Kestrel / falco tinnunculus. Lincolnshire. 24/06/16.
I captured this wild female Kestrel in the process of devouring a mouse......
NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED : READ ON AND VIEW LARGE FOR DETAILS.
She first ripped off the mouse's head with ease and in one go.
In the image you can actually see the nose, open mouth, teeth and one eye of the prey item. Nature in the raw, but intriguing to observe.
I thought she would reposition the head in her beak, (rather like Kingfishers or Cormorants do with fish catches), to make it easier to swallow. This was not the case however. After holding it in her beak for a few seconds and surveying the immediate area, she swallowed it broadside on!
Quite a feat considering the size and length of the head, although there did follow some frantic gulping.
Common Kestrel DSC_1328
Common Kestrel / falco tinnunculus. Lincolnshire. 24/06/16.
I captured this wild female Kestrel in the process of devouring a mouse......
NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED : READ ON AND VIEW LARGE FOR DETAILS.
She first ripped off the mouse's head with ease and in one go.
In the image you can actually see the nose, open mouth, teeth and one eye of the prey item. Nature in the raw, but intriguing to observe.
I thought she would reposition the head in her beak, (rather like Kingfishers or Cormorants do with fish catches), to make it easier to swallow. This was not the case however. After holding it in her beak for a few seconds and surveying the immediate area, she swallowed it broadside on!
Quite a feat considering the size and length of the head, although there did follow some frantic gulping.