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American Kestrel


American Kestrel
Photo Information
Copyright: Manyee Desandies (manyee) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-06-30
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon Powershot S1-IS
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Predaceous birds - Aves predadoras, Animal portraits, 40-49 Points (Chapter 5), 50-60 points chapter 4, Falcons - I chapter [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-07-05 3:29
Viewed: 8548
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 54
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I will be going on vacation for the next two weeks. May or may not have access to the Internet. I will miss seeing your wonderful pictures.

This photo was taken at the Coyote Point Museum

American Kestrel
Falco sparverius

Crécerelle d'Amérique (French)
Cernícalo chitero (Spanish)

Perhaps the most colorful raptor in the world, the American Kestrel is the most common falcon in North America. It is found from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, and in towns as well as wild lands.

Description
Small hawk.
Rufous back and tail.
Two dark mustache marks on face.
Size: 22-31 cm (9-12 in)
Wingspan: 51-61 cm (20-24 in)
Weight: 80-165 g (2.82-5.82 ounces)
Sex Differences
Male has blue-gray wings and a lightly spotted chest and belly. The larger female has rufous wings barred with black, and streaking on the chest.

Sound
Loud series of "klee-klee-klee" notes when excited.

Cool Facts

Although hover-hunting is conspicuous, this foraging method actually is used rather infrequently. It is used most often when suitable perches are not available, or when winds are strong enough to create updrafts favorable to hovering.
In winter in many southern parts of the range, female and male American Kestrels use different habitats. The female uses the preferred more open habitat, and the male uses areas with more trees. This situation appears to be the result of the females migrating south first and establishing winter territories. The males then are forced into the less preferred areas.
Nestling kestrels back up, raise their tails, and squirt feces onto the walls of the nest cavity. The feces dry on the cavity walls and stay off the nestlings. The nest gets to be a smelly place, with feces on the walls and uneaten parts of small animals on the floor.

Source

I will be going on vacation for the next two weeks. May or may not have access to the Internet. I will miss seeing your wonderful pictures.
TAZ, thistle, sam224, coasties, chiliu, red45, Signal-Womb, sandpiper2, Luc, scottevers7, marhowie, bedford67, Janice, thor68, peter_stoeckl has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To peter_stoeckl: Danke, Peter :)manyee 1 01-05 03:26
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Critiques [Translate]

Great shot Manyee!
I've never seen anything like that. He is really colourful and beautiful.
Great colours and composition.
I like it very much.
WELL DONE!

Wow.. wonderful colours. Great capture Manyee. Good sharpness and light! Well done!

Hello Manyee

What fantastic plumage colours. Awesome looking bird. Excellent portrait. Good catchlight in the eye. Well done. Enjoy your holiday!

What a great portrait!
The colour, details and composition are extremely well.Stunning shot!
TFS!

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2005-07-05 4:30]

Amazing portrait Manyee! So colorfull, I thought that birds of prey are less colorfull ;-) Great pose and face, very good work!

Lovely portrait Manyee, with amazing array of colours around the head. Very nice.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1455 W: 74 N: 1426] (4750)
  • [2005-07-05 6:17]

Hello Manyee,

This is a good portrait. Colors are lovely and POV is great! Have a very nice vacation and do return safe and sound. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Good portrait Manyee. Certainly has a lot more colour than our Kestrel. Good neutral background.
Have a great holiday.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1835 W: 301 N: 4287] (14767)
  • [2005-07-05 9:09]

Good vacation Manyee!
Personal assessment of the photo: great.
Strong visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
Thank you very much for sharing.

Hallo Manyee, a very nice capture. Excellent colours and very good sharp detail. Composition and DoF are great also. Very well done.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2150 W: 319 N: 4263] (16942)
  • [2005-07-05 14:01]

Manyee, may your vacation be great. Do come back as soon as possible.

As for the photo, a great one.

Great close-up with very nice pov and composition.

  • Great 
  • Kris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 174 W: 0 N: 129] (1818)
  • [2005-07-05 16:42]

This bird is so beautiful.
Good colors, wonderful exposure, great focus.
Regards, Krzysztof.

Very nice close-up picture of this bird.

Olá.
Linda captura. Cor e luz perfeitas.
Parabéns.
Debi

Very good close-up portrait Manyee. Nice colors and background. Have a good vacation...and come back with great pictures.

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-07-06 4:58]

Beautiful and interesting portrait for this superb bird ! Good pose, great colors, DOF and details ! Thanks for sharing Manyee.

A beautiful portrait of this Kestrel. The color and sharp detail are perfect. You have composed and framed this very well. Excellent Work Manyee!!
Scott

Nice portrait Manyee, Very nice colors and POV..Have a great time on your vacation!

Hello Manyee,

Wow, it is really a great shot! I admire the colors and contrast. The reflection in the eye of the falcon is interesting. Cheer!
Composition: ****
Contraste(Sharpness): ****
Couleurs(Color): ****
PDC(DOF): ****
PDV(POV): ***
Note: ***
TFS, cordially,
J-Patrick

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2005-07-08 23:57]

I saw this photo last week and 'lost' it. So pleased I've found it again Manyee, as I wanted to comment on it.
This is a wonderful portrait of the Kestrel. I cannot believe how beautiful his feather colours are. And I love his eye, so large and deep, with a twinke showing too. Very good shot, well done.

never seen such colorful bird of prey! TFS!

Excellent portrait Manyee,
Well composed, good detail, colours and sharpness.
Nicely captured. Have a wonderful vacation, I'm looking forward to seeing your posts when you return.
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • Midi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 146 W: 24 N: 183] (2418)
  • [2005-07-12 2:30]

An excellent portrait, full coloured. Very good close up and nice back ground.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2005-07-30 16:13]

I love bird portraits, and this one is no different. The colors are stuning and I like the eye contact.

Very well done and thanks for posting

Points later

  • Great 
  • ridfa Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 89 W: 0 N: 376] (4111)
  • [2005-08-24 8:46]

Fantastic, very nice photo, Manyee.

Thank you.

Ridfa

Excellent portrait Manyee, thanks for bringing it to my attenntion. The European version has a bit of grey in the head of the male, not in the female I caught though!
Regards,
Gabi

  • Great 
  • Avare Silver Note Writer [C: 8 W: 4 N: 75] (514)
  • [2005-10-18 6:46]

Hello Manyee,

Great portrait! I see first time American Kestrel, it has an amazing colours. Well done!

Thank you.

Very beautiful portrait, Manyee. I very much enjoy your pictures and the complete notes you add. Thank you!
Best regards,
Peter :)

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