ID Help: American Kestrel

[allikat]

There are quite a few Kestrels here in Regina.  I see them all the time!  You can actually spot them easily from their calls as well as the way they fly.  I am very lucky to see so many of them!  It's WONDERFUL!  

[des]

Should be a great day for sightings! Sun and breeze after all that rain.
What's the advantage of the malar markings on the peregrines and kestrels?? 
Seems they might scare others away  - but if they were grabbing "you" it would be a little too late...

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thank you Tracy for renaming this topic. 
I think this is a juvenile Kestrel

You are welcome ...
Can't say if its a juvenile or not, definitely a male however ..

[Kinderchick]

What a beauty, rcf!

[RCF]

Thank you Tracy for renaming this topic. 
I think this is a juvenile Kestrel

[Ellie]

The Kestrels sure are beautiful birds.  I get the Northern flickers in the park behind my house here in Charleswood.  About five years ago the park was just full of them but springtime now hosts only a very few. The Robins even have declined in numbers.  Crows and Bluejays are the problem I believe.  Wish I could just go out snooping like Dennis does......love looking and observing all birds.  Thanks RCF

[RCF]

Thanks for confirming the Kestrels identification, Tracy. They are very pretty birds.  

[The Peregrine Chick]

I've started to work on ID sheets and links for kestrels, merlins, peregrines, prairie falcons and gyrs, it will be one of my projects for this winter.  Since I would like to ensure that they contain useful information for folks trying to identify birds out their window or in their backyard, I would appreciate it if something in particular strikes you when you see a bird (for example, the head of an american kestrel is SO blue), please let me know.  I'll see if I can't add it to my experiences making "house calls" over the years.  Ideally, I want to have a double sided pdf page of information,photos, illustrations (including an easy scale guide) and links for more information.

Appreciate your help folks!

[The Peregrine Chick]

Beautiful photo of the Merlin/Kestral , rcf. I have a difficult time making the distinction between the two. But I have no doubt that Dennis and eagle are correct.

Merlins, although they frequently have defined malar strips, Kestrels always have much more clearly defined ones - never seen one that wasn't picture perfect.  Also, both genders have horizontal barring across their back, merlins do not.  Also, kestrels are like peregrines, they range of variation is relatively small - males look like the photos of males, females look like the photos of females.  Merlins can range from almost as dark as peregrines to ghosty pale, some have malar stripes, some don't, etc.

[RCF]

Beautiful photo of the Merlin/Kestral , rcf. I have a difficult time making the distinction between the two. But I have no doubt that Dennis and eagle are correct.

I think they are Kestrels.  I took a pic of the male today and you can see his colors.  I think they have a nest in the bush behind my house...they always seem to come and go from there.  I also watched one of them chase away a hawk.  

[The Peregrine Chick]

First (bottom) photo is a female American Kestrel.

Second (middle) photo is adult male American Kestrelm

Third (top) photo is American Kestrel chowing down on something much smaller than a flicker.  The Northern Flicker is eastern population, formerly Yellow-shafted Flicker.  Yellow-shafted Flickers have flight feathers with yellow shafts, the western population is the Red-shafted for reasons that are probably easy to guess.  Easy way to spot - the black malar patch (look under the chin) is black in eastern birds, red in western bird.

Great photos!!

[Kinderchick]

Beautiful photo of the Merlin/Kestral , rcf. I have a difficult time making the distinction between the two. But I have no doubt that Dennis and eagle are correct.

[carly]

Beautiful photos RCF!  I don't know much about other bird species outside of our pefa's and the lunch snacks they enjoy but I'm always curious to learn more!

[eagle63_1999]

The bottom picture is perhaps the juvie then, as it doesn't have the usual reddish colouring of the adult kestral? 

Or it could be the female of the Kestrel species.

[bcbird]

The bottom picture is perhaps the juvie then, as it doesn't have the usual reddish colouring of the adult kestral?