Kestrel
This kestrel is named Typhoon, he hatched in 2016 and lives at Fen Falconry, Wisbech St. Mary, Cambridgeshire.
Typhoon was seen at the Sotterley Country Fair in Suffolk.
The kestrel is a bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. The name 'kestrel' is derived from the French word crécerelle.
Kestrels measure 12.5 to 15.5 in. (32 to 39 cm) from head to tail, with a wingspan of 25.5 to 32.5 in. (65 to 82 cm). Females are noticeably larger, with the adult male weighing 4.75 to 9 oz. (136 to 255 g) around 5.5 oz. (155 g) on average, the adult female weighs 5.5 to 11 oz. (155 to 311 g), around 6.5 oz. (184 g) on average. They are thus small compared with other birds of prey, but larger than most songbirds. Like the other falcon species they have long wings as well as a distinctive long tail.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside. The beak, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the tallons, bill and iris are dark. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Kestrels are found in a wide variety of habitats, from moor and heath, to farmland and urban areas. The only places they do not favour are dense forests, vast treeless wetlands and mountains. They are found throughout the UK except for Shetland.
When hunting, the kestrel characteristically hovers about 35 to 65 ft. (10 to 20 m) above the ground, searching for prey, either by flying into the wind or by soaring using ridge lift. Like most birds of prey, kestrels have keen eyesight enabling them to spot small prey from a distance. Once prey is sighted, the bird makes a short, steep dive toward the target. It can often be found hunting along the sides of roads and motorways. This species is able to see near ultraviolet light, allowing the birds to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows as they shine in an ultraviolet colour in the sunlight. Another favourite hunting technique is to perch a bit above the ground cover, surveying the area. When the bird spots prey animals moving by, it will pounce on them. They also prowl a patch of hunting ground in a ground-hugging flight, ambushing prey as they happen across it.
Kestrels eat almost exclusively mouse sized mammals. Voles, shrews and mice provide 75% or more of their food. A kestrel requires the equivalent of 4 to 8 voles a day. They have been known to catch several voles in succession and cache some for later consumption. An individual nestling consumes on average 3 to 4 voles per day. Birds are only an important food during a few weeks each summer when inexperienced fledglings abound. Other suitably sized vertebrates like bats, swifts, frogs and lizards are eaten only on rare occasions. Seasonally, beetles, spiders and insects may be a main prey item.
Kestrels do not build nests, instead they lay their eggs in such places as holes in trees or cliff faces. They also use nests abandoned by other species. In urban areas, kestrels will lay their eggs on rooftops and holes in walls. The kestrel starts breeding in April or May. The clutch is normally 3 to 7 eggs and incubation lasts for about a month with both male and female will take shifts incubating the eggs. After the eggs have hatched, the parents share brooding and hunting duties. Only the female feeds the chicks, by tearing apart prey into manageable chunks. The young fledge after 4 to 5 weeks. The family stays close together for a few weeks, during which time the young learn how to fend for themselves and hunt prey. The UK populations of breeding pairs is 46,000 pairs and it's UK conservation status is Amber.
Kestrel
This kestrel is named Typhoon, he hatched in 2016 and lives at Fen Falconry, Wisbech St. Mary, Cambridgeshire.
Typhoon was seen at the Sotterley Country Fair in Suffolk.
The kestrel is a bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. The name 'kestrel' is derived from the French word crécerelle.
Kestrels measure 12.5 to 15.5 in. (32 to 39 cm) from head to tail, with a wingspan of 25.5 to 32.5 in. (65 to 82 cm). Females are noticeably larger, with the adult male weighing 4.75 to 9 oz. (136 to 255 g) around 5.5 oz. (155 g) on average, the adult female weighs 5.5 to 11 oz. (155 to 311 g), around 6.5 oz. (184 g) on average. They are thus small compared with other birds of prey, but larger than most songbirds. Like the other falcon species they have long wings as well as a distinctive long tail.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside. The beak, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the tallons, bill and iris are dark. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Kestrels are found in a wide variety of habitats, from moor and heath, to farmland and urban areas. The only places they do not favour are dense forests, vast treeless wetlands and mountains. They are found throughout the UK except for Shetland.
When hunting, the kestrel characteristically hovers about 35 to 65 ft. (10 to 20 m) above the ground, searching for prey, either by flying into the wind or by soaring using ridge lift. Like most birds of prey, kestrels have keen eyesight enabling them to spot small prey from a distance. Once prey is sighted, the bird makes a short, steep dive toward the target. It can often be found hunting along the sides of roads and motorways. This species is able to see near ultraviolet light, allowing the birds to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows as they shine in an ultraviolet colour in the sunlight. Another favourite hunting technique is to perch a bit above the ground cover, surveying the area. When the bird spots prey animals moving by, it will pounce on them. They also prowl a patch of hunting ground in a ground-hugging flight, ambushing prey as they happen across it.
Kestrels eat almost exclusively mouse sized mammals. Voles, shrews and mice provide 75% or more of their food. A kestrel requires the equivalent of 4 to 8 voles a day. They have been known to catch several voles in succession and cache some for later consumption. An individual nestling consumes on average 3 to 4 voles per day. Birds are only an important food during a few weeks each summer when inexperienced fledglings abound. Other suitably sized vertebrates like bats, swifts, frogs and lizards are eaten only on rare occasions. Seasonally, beetles, spiders and insects may be a main prey item.
Kestrels do not build nests, instead they lay their eggs in such places as holes in trees or cliff faces. They also use nests abandoned by other species. In urban areas, kestrels will lay their eggs on rooftops and holes in walls. The kestrel starts breeding in April or May. The clutch is normally 3 to 7 eggs and incubation lasts for about a month with both male and female will take shifts incubating the eggs. After the eggs have hatched, the parents share brooding and hunting duties. Only the female feeds the chicks, by tearing apart prey into manageable chunks. The young fledge after 4 to 5 weeks. The family stays close together for a few weeks, during which time the young learn how to fend for themselves and hunt prey. The UK populations of breeding pairs is 46,000 pairs and it's UK conservation status is Amber.