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Eleonora's Falcon


Eleonora's Falcon
Photo Information
Copyright: Tom Conzemius (pirate) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 459 W: 101 N: 593] (3011)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2003-07-26
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS10D, 300 mm 1:2.8 with 1.4 CANON extender
Exposure: f/6.7, 1/750 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Map: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Falcons - II chapter [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-07-26 6:08
Viewed: 1123
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Adult light morph male (sexed by yellow eye-lid and cere)

The Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae) is a medium-sized falcon.
This species breeds on islands in the Mediterranean particularly off Greece (where two-thirds of the world's population breeds), but also in the Canary Islands, and off Spain, Italy, Croatia, Morocco and Algeria. It is a long-distance migrator, wintering in Madagascar. The migration route is thought to be coastal, with birds from the western end of the Mediterranean flying to Suez before flying south down the Red Sea, and across the Horn of Africa. Birds from the western end of the breeding range can cover 10,500 km during the trip. It is rare north of its range. It nests colonially on coastal cliffs, laying up to four eggs.
The Eleonora's Falcon is an elegant bird of prey, 36-42 cm long with an 87-104 cm wingspan. It is like a large Hobby or a small slender Peregrine Falcon, with its long pointed wings, long tail and slim body. There are two colour morphs. The adult dark morph is all dark brown, with black underwing coverts. The light morph is more like a juvenile Hobby, but has buff underparts, and also shows the contrast between the black underwing coverts and paler base to the flight feathers.
Young birds are also like a large juvenile Hobby, but the pale underparts contrast with darker wingtips and wing coverts.
It will take large insects, such as dragonflies, which are transferred from talons to beak and eaten in flight. However, this species has a delayed breeding season, in late summer, because it is a specialist hunter of migrating birds which pass through the Mediterranean islands at this time of year. It captures small birds in flight, using its speed and aerobatic skills.
Birds spend much time cruising along coastal cliffs with steady wingbeats watching for tired incoming migrants.
The call is a typical falcon kek-kek-kek.
This bird is named after Eleonor of Arborea, national heroine of Sardinia.

Wikipedia.org
MMM, XOTAELE, marhowie, Altair, elefantino, kjpweb, rousettus, lovenature, livios, Proframe, Necipp, nardophoto, Raptorman has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Heyshamite: tripod and exposurepirate 2 07-27 02:18
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 784 W: 0 N: 1558] (7176)
  • [2007-07-26 7:14]

Hi Tom
Nice in flight capture,nice detaisl in the wing and nice BG colors.
TFS Michel

Hola Tom.
Genial encuadre de este halcón captado con una nitidez perfecta.
Buen bg y detalles.
Un saludo, JL.

I like most your POV here Tom.
Difficult proposition this inflight stuff..Good exposure/detail under the wings, where it is often lost..
Well seen on the clean light blue BG, excellent notes on the falcon also.
Well done!
Howard

Hi Tom,
Great colours and composition! A very nice capture.

//Peter

Great shot of this falcon really rare in Italy (my country)!
Andrea

Elegant it is indeed! Well capture with good details visible! Well done! Cheers, Klaus

Hi Tom,
Fantastic capture, your capture this
Eleonora's Falcon excellent, colorful
with open wings, sharp looking eyes, good light exposure, nice POV and timing. very sharp and nicely composed. TFS.
well done
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1315 W: 72 N: 2778] (9211)
  • [2007-07-26 10:51]

Hello Tom,
Beautiful colours and sharpness on the Falcon. Great POV and composition. Wonderful BG.
Regards,
Peter

Great minds think alike ;)
I've never heard of the Eleonora's Falcon, he is a smaller species compared to the Prairie Falcon.


I really like how the Falcon is coming toward you and the great view of his head and beak. I like the angle of him in your photo it makes for a nice composition. Lovely details, colour and lighting. Interesting note too.
TFS Janice

Hi Tom,
Good image of the Falcon. Not a species we see here in the UK.
Good capture of the in flight bird. Surprising that you were using a tripod for the shot. Did you use any exposure compensation to get the detail showing against the bright sky?
Lovely photo.
Well done,
Peter

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2306 W: 324 N: 4306] (16856)
  • [2007-07-28 13:40]

Tom, this is very beautiful.

Excellent sharpness, composition and contrast.

Great note too.

Hi Tom,
Beautiful in flight shot of this wonderful Falcon.
Love the pose and warm colors.
Excellent composition and lighting.
Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards,
Harry

hello Tom this is a fine shot good details sharpness is nice. good work tfs rgds Necip.

i prefer the next one.but i like how you see the strengthens of his body here.
yep!
caroline

Great shot of this falcon.
Angelo

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1399 W: 120 N: 5170] (22817)
  • [2007-10-09 14:01]

Hello Tom, great Falcon you captured there it looks like the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius 23-30 cm)that we have here in North America. But yours is bit larger. Anyway you've done a great job with it, very sharp, well exposed and it's a very nice in-flight pose. Thanks !

Mario

Hello Tom , Excellent photo for this rare Falcon species .

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