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American Kestrel


American Kestrel
Photo Information
Copyright: Adam Hays (Adam73) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 208 W: 5 N: 522] (2253)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-05-10
Categories: Birds
Exposure: f/8, 1/1000 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 5 favs. and up [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-06-18 22:19
Viewed: 5762
Favorites: 8 [view]
Points: 60
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Description: The American Kestrel is the smallest and most colorful of North American Falconifomes. Males have a rust back with some black bars, a rust tail and bluish-gray wings; females are brown, barred with black on black and tail, and buff with brownish streaks underneath. Kestrels, commonly called sparrow hawks, are unique in that they are the only North American falcon or hawk to nest in cavities--not only in natural cavities and woodpecker holes but in the eaves of buildings and barns and in nest boxes as well.

Range/Habitat: They breed from Alaska and Northwest Territories east through the Maritime Provinces and south throughout the continent. Winters north to British Columbia, Great Lakes, ad New England. Also into American tropics. Habitat is mostly farmland, suburban and urban areas.

Adaptations: Kestrels typically hunt from a conspicuous perch or hover like miniature helicopters. The flight is buoyant, graceful and rapid, quite-like a large swallow.

Courtship/Gestation/Birth: Nesting usually begins in mid-March, and a clutch of four to six eggs is laid in early April. The female does most of the incubating for 28 to 30 days, while the male hunts for her. Young kestrels fledge from the nest after 28 to 30 days.

Diet: Mammals including bats, mice, shrews, rats, gophers, young ground squirrels and young cottontails (70%); birds, mainly house sparrows (10%); invertebrates including worms, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, dragonflies and butterflies (20%); reptiles and amphibians (1%).

Source: http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/i003.html
Dan, cdplayer, aktolga, mogens-j, moustique, coasties, ddg, Oz1, scottevers7, liquidsunshine, TAZ, jchemas, firelord, Shaver, TheMystic, jmp, Alain_cdn, methos, elif has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To manyee: American Kestrel ShotAdam73 3 06-19 12:56
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Dan Gold Star Critiquer [C: 113 W: 0 N: 2] (18)
  • [2006-06-18 23:46]

Hi Adam, great shot and moment. Excellent colours and details. Congratulation, Dan.

Very nice image Adam! Perfect lighting, depth of field and positioning! Nice color!

wow, somebody is really hungry!
amazing "action"-shot, adam! :-)
perfect timing on this "great" and bloody moment,
nice strong colors and a superb composition.
well seen & captured, thor.

Wow, Adam, what a dramatic shot : 0
Where in Newark did you catch that?
Fantastic scene with very sharp details, well-saturated colors, great POV.
Great capture and TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1127 W: 254 N: 3161] (14464)
  • [2006-06-19 2:48]

Hi Adam,

A colorfull shot of this kestrel having is meal,well seen and captured,details and colors are amazing,

Paul

Excellent capture Adam. Very good sharpness and dof setting off the bird in a very nice way and with plenty of details in the plumage and the fur on the mouse. Wonderful colours on this bird - much more colourful than the danish version (Falco tinnunculus). Personally I would prefer a little more space infront of the bird to bring it more out of centre. All over a very nice picture followed by an informative note - well done.

Mogens

Hi Adam, this is absolutely the SHOT OF THE DAY!!!
Nice colors, details and moment captured.
Andrea

bonjour,
l'oiseau a fait une belle prise, mais toi aussi !
cette photo est splendide !
très nette, très détaillée !
merci du partage

Hi Adam

A lovely shot. Nicely composed with excellent exposure and POV. Lighting is spot on. Nice work. :-)

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 867 W: 24 N: 1008] (5507)
  • [2006-06-19 5:25]

Well caught Adam, this is an excellent shot with a great composition and a perfect timing. I like the colors that blend well and the BG too. Very well done, TFS, Didier.

  • Great 
  • Oz1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 75 W: 2 N: 174] (1012)
  • [2006-06-19 6:44]

Hi Adam,
Very nice capture!
great details and colors. also BG and POV!
TFS!!

Hi Adam,
Outstanding shot here. Great quality light and spot on exposure. Beautiful colors and tones .. Very sharp detail with perfect DOF. The OOF backround looks great. Excellent work!
Scott

Gruesome but a great capture!

Wonderful capture Adam,
Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV and composition.

Thanks for posting, have a great week.

  • Great 
  • takos1 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 261 W: 25 N: 208] (2607)
  • [2006-06-19 17:15]

Foto stupenda!

Complimenti!

Franco

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1538 W: 5 N: 2240] (12636)
  • [2006-06-19 22:46]

Bonsoir Adam!

Félicitations pour cette magnifique capture.
Merci pour l'envoie.
joseph

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2006-06-20 1:49]

Wow ! What an impressive moment that you have very well captured ! Colors, exposure, DOF and sharpness are very good. I also appreciate the complementary note... Congratulations Adam and thanks for sharing.

What a great shot Adam.!!!!
Great composition that expresses a very natural occurrence in nature.
Great colors and details.
Regards
tfs!!!!!
JC

  • Great 
  • hibou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 217 W: 1 N: 331] (1629)
  • [2006-06-23 19:25]

Hello Adam,
What a GREAT shot. Colors, details, incredible action. CONGRATULATIONS ... TFS ... Donald

Hello Adam,
As I said, I really like this one. Anytime you can capture the subject doing something, it's a big plus. This capture is rich in detail, nicely exposed, with great color..
Very good impact and POV of the action.
The real deal. Outstanding work.

bonjour adam
tres cruelle cette photo mais tellement belle.
couleurs details et bg tout est parfait.
laurent

  • Great 
  • Shaver (100)
  • [2006-07-11 3:12]

All I can say is WOW! Great shot!!! I would not change anything about this shot... Nice description also.

Steve

Hi Adam.

great shot of this Beautifull bird.
POV , DOF are Perfect.

Gr Thijs

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1659 W: 95 N: 2273] (8415)
  • [2006-09-27 16:28]

Hi Adam,
Beautiful capture with extraordinay colors, sharpness, background, pose and moment! > Favorites
TFS, José M.

Hi Adam,
For a long time I want to comment this one but it is going so fast here… This is a brilliant capture and you had this great timing with it. I wonder where it was taken. Congratulations,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • abtinn (0)
  • [2006-11-28 2:05]

wow!
so nice shot man!

Hi Adam,
This is amazing. Excellent action and lvely details and colors.
TFS!

absolutly fantastic...

Lucian

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 483 W: 0 N: 1345] (10867)
  • [2008-03-08 14:45]

Hi Adam,

Amazing shot of a very colorful kestrel. Its good to see this bird eating. TFS.

regards,
Zeno

  • Great 
  • Helio Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 44 W: 0 N: 16] (533)
  • [2009-05-28 17:11]

wow..perfect, excellent.

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