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Bringing Home Lunch


Bringing Home Lunch
Photo Information
Copyright: Selen Ediger (SelenE) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2249 W: 65 N: 4205] (13972)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-07
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS USM, Hoya UV 77mm
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1600 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Feeding Time, Vanderschelden's favourites, 5 favs. and up - PART 3, Birds of Prey- RAPTORS (II), Karatash's other favorite -I- [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-04-07 18:03
Viewed: 5298
Favorites: 8 [view]
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Kucuk Kerkenez- Lesser Kestrel- Falco naumanni
Adult male lesser kestrel just before bringing the lunch home...then he offered his catch to his lady

The Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across southern central Asia to China. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European range.

It is a small bird of prey, 27-33 cm in length with a 63-72 cm wingspan. It looks very much like the larger Common Kestrel but has proportionally shorter wings and tail. It shares a brown back and barred grey underparts with the larger species. The male has a grey head and tail like male Common Kestrels, but lacks the dark spotting on the back, the black malar stripe, and has grey patches in the wings.

Despite its outward similarity, this species appears not to be closely related to the Common Kestrel. In fact, mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis (Groombridge et al. 2002) places it at a basal position with regards to the other "true" kestrels (i.e., excluding the American Kestrel and probably the grey African kestrels too). Its divergence is tentatively placed to around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary (Messinian to Zanclean, or about 7-3.5 mya). The morphological similarity with the Common Kestrel is most puzzling, but still it appears to betray the present species' actual relationships: the lack of a malar stripe seems ancestral for kestrels, and the grey wing color unites the Lesser Kestrel with most other Falco species, but not the other true kestrels.

The Lesser Kestrel is, as the name implies, a smaller and more delicate bird than the Common Kestrel, and it is entirely sympatric in its breeding range with it; they compete to a limited extent. Thus, the possibility that there is some form of adaptive advantage to the similar coloration deserves study. Considering that the Lesser Kestrel would in fact have an advantage if some would-be predators confuse it with the larger species and consequently avoid it, it might be a case of Müllerian mimicry.

The Lesser Kestrel eats insects, which are often taken on the ground. It nests colonially on buildings, cliffs, or in tree holes, laying up to 3-6 eggs. No nest structure is built, which is typical for falcons.
It is widespread and plentiful on a global scale, but in many areas of its range, it seems to be undergoing a marked and possibly accelerating decline. The IUCN has thus classed it as a vulnerable species (VU A2bce+3bce). This means that the global population and range have declined by some 30% in the last 10 years, and is expected to continue to do so for at least another decade. Apart from possible habitat destruction, it appears that indiscriminate use of pesticides has a strong effect on this species due to its insectivorous habits (BirdLife International 2006).
*Sources: wikipedia
fiyo, Necipp, greenpinkorange, JoseMiguel, KiltedArab, Raptorman, Alex99, egeerhan, delic, fartash, goutham_ramesh, horia, mogens-j, coasties, rousettus, bartove has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1053 W: 5 N: 3475] (15161)
  • [2007-04-07 18:16]

ağzındaki avıyla çok güzel yakalmışsınız, tebrikler..

Merhaba Selene cok guzel olmus super! tebrikler selam Necip.

Parades Selen. Excellent shot. This is such an amazing view. Well done. Tfs. Stev

Good work, Selen!
Really!
No words here please;-)
Congrats
TFS
Annick

Hi Selen,

Great behaviour captured here! Very cool. Also, sharpness, colours and exposure level look great. Nice image. TFS.

Cheers,
Carl

Hello Selen,

WOW! What an amazing capture of this Kestrel! Excellent sharpness and fine detail can be seen on every bit of him. Superb work! Thank you for sharing!

Ange

haha is that lunch enough to feed? haha for itself perhaps?
good shot! great flight pose and sharpness is really really good for this one.
steph

Hi Selene,
Outstanding image!
I like so much this clear image, their sharpness and all the details got.
Your timig was excellent, and this scene catched couldn't be better.
I like so much this capture against the blue sky, it's so sharp, and the carried food detail is very good.
It's excellent your composition choice, with the space given to the right of the bird.
My compliments and thanks for share it.
Best regards,
JM

Breathtakingly beautiful capture - I am very envious of this shot! Super moment with the bird turning mid-flight.

It has all been said above, congrats on a wonderful shot!

Hi selen,

A perfect action shot , lovely capture with good detials and composition is perfect , would have been great if you could have got bit more space towards the birds head , but well i know how difficult catching such an action shot is. Superb picture.

Tfs and happy weekend,

Pawan

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2007-04-08 5:53]

Hi Selen.
One of the best in-flight shot. Terrific pictured scene and exposure of the picture. Lighting and colour reproduction of the bird are simply outstanding as well as the whole colour palette and technique of shooting. Bravo, wonderful and skilful work. My congratulations and TFS.
Alexei.

Wayy.. ekrandan fırlayackmış gibi emegine saglık.

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 440 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-04-08 8:23]

Merhaba Selen,
This must be one your greatest hits. No need for words: it's perfect. Tebrikler.
Hakan

Hello Selen
What a great flight shot,
Perfect sharpness and lighting,
Great compo and BG,Welldone.

Regards
Fartash

Hi,
Wow, This is a classic shot! A beautiful frozen action. Enjoy this picture and bask in glory.
TFS
Goutham R

Selen!!! Is it your best shot of a raptor? If not, this is a wonderful one, wow! I'm stunned! This is a great action catch with so nice details, exposure and colors! Congratulations!
Claudine
PS, What a polite guy :-)

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2158 W: 224 N: 4749] (16656)
  • [2007-04-08 10:10]

Hi Selen

What a magnificent in-flight!!! Not only did you manage to catch this lesser kestrel in a lovely flying pose, but also with a nice little prey in its beak.
The details and colors here are fantastic and that lovely blue sky work excellently as a BG.

Bravo, TFS and Happy Easter!
Horia

  • Great 
  • krall Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 190 W: 0 N: 47] (1286)
  • [2007-04-08 11:12]

:) Wowww .. Mukemmel Tebrik ederim Gururlarımla..

Hello Selen

Like when you read a detective story - I have bad newa and good news:-0) - The "bad news" first - my first thought was, the bird is flying out of the picture instead of into the picture. When that is said I have the good news. - Excellent handling of the light with very good details in the plumage and it can be very difficult with backlight. The focus or harpness is very good too. I really like the frozen turn of the falcon and you even got it so sharp that one can almost identify the bug. Wonderful and very natural colours - from the grey head I think it is a male kestrel. All over a very pleasant picture to look at and a very nice note to follow.

Well done
Mogens

  • Great 
  • hatti52 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 190 W: 1 N: 12] (1068)
  • [2007-04-08 15:40]
  • [2]

Merhaba
Harika yakalamışsınız
Tebrik ederim

Hi Selen

Another stunning shot. Lovely colours, good timing and perfect clear BG. Awesome quality. :-)

  • Great 
  • Bac Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 93 W: 3 N: 33] (486)
  • [2007-04-19 12:12]
  • [2]

Uncredible, unbelievable, WOW.....

Very nice shot, the sharpness, the colours, the composition....

all is perfect. TFS

Christian

merhaba Selen hanım,
aksiyon, kompozisyon ve netlik çok güzel. favorilerime ekledim bile.
not: son günlerde yeni fotoğraflarınızı göremiyoruz. sabırsızlıkla Galapagos'tan yenileri görmeyi bekliyorum.
selamlar

Excellent shot. Good sharpness and fine detail.
Well done.Eyal

Very nice shot, the light in the eye, the food in the mouth, the off set wing spread out tail feathers, very nice, well done - TFS

Güneydın Selen , nefis bir komp. ağzında avıyla çok iyi yakalamışsın , çok beğendim , verdiğin bilgiler çok yararlı özellikle genetik orijinle ilgili bilgiler Evrimin nasıl işlediğini yani farklı genetik yapıların benzer morfolojiye yol açtığını görmüş olduk , Galapagos adalarında da bu gözlemlere devam et - Darwin gibi- Bol şanslar.

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