American Kestrel Perching

Here's another American Kestrel I encountered, this one in January. This one was closer than the one I saw in October, and both closer and with better lighting than the couple sightings in November. I'd expect to see a lot more blue (especially on the wings) if this was a male, so I'm pretty confident that this is a "she".

We don't always appreciate just how light most birds are. This falcon is able to perch on the top of what's basically a twig because she only weighs about a quarter of a pound (117 grams).

She was at Farm Barn Lane at Duke Farms. With a few kestrel boxes set up for them and surrounded by meadows with small prey, this is a fairly popular place for American Kestrels. In fact, when I was there yesterday a photographer said he had spotted a pair mating on one of the boxes. Unfortunately I failed to spot - let alone photograph - this kestrel romance.

Still, this area does have its drawbacks. I've spotted a Northern Harrier and a few Red-tailed Hawks in the area, and while I don't think of them as bird-hunting specialists, I'm sure these much larger raptors would be happy to pounce on an unwary kestrel.

January 10, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 251774143, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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