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Lesser Kestrel Courtship


Lesser Kestrel Courtship
Photo Information
Copyright: Kazim Capaci (capaci) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 138 W: 55 N: 149] (1288)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon EF100-400 IS L 4.5-5.6L Ø77
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Bird of Gediz Delta, Falcons - I chapter [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-11-13 4:27
Viewed: 1135
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Lesser Kestrel pair. (Falco naumanni)
Courtship and result :)

The males are relatively easy to separate from Common Kestrels. They have plain rufous backs and blue panels in the upperwing and the lack of a dark moustache gives them a more gentle baby-faced expression. From below, their pale underwing contrasts with a darker, rather peachy-coloured body but beware that even Common Kestrels can look very pale in the strong Mediterranean light. A more useful clue is the fact that the central tail feathers are distinctively longer than the rest of the tail. This not only gives the tail a more graduated shape, it also means that the prominent black bar near the tip of the tail often has a little step in it. Be careful though because a Common Kestrel in moult may also have tail feathers of different lengths. Female and juvenile Lesser Kestrels are much harder to identify. Like the males they are pale under the wing and have more tapering tails than Common Kestrels but it’s best to try to identify them at rest when you can look for a plainer face, shorter tail (scarcely reaching beyond the tips of the wings) and, if you’re really close, white claws.
Breeds colonially on cliffs or buildings, often in town centres but also in isolated farms. Feeds mostly in open country, often sitting on telegraph wires.
A very rare vagrant with 17 records in Britain and Ireland up until 1995.
Locally common in parts of Spain, Portugal and Turkey but scarce or absent elsewhere. They often nest in the middle of towns and villages where they are easy to see and watch. Favoured sites include Arcos, Caceres (around 200 pairs, the largest colony) and Trujillo in Spain, Nees Karies (Greece) and Akkoy and Adabag in Turkey.
7-8,000 breeding pairs across southern and eastern Europe. Largest numbers are found in Spain, Turkey, Italy and Greece.
text reference : www.birdguides.com

http://med.ege.edu.tr/~capaci/birds03.htm
clnaef, nardophoto, SelenE, ddg, horia, hester, coasties, sayat has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Bonjour,
Intéressante vues successives
Bonne journée.
clnaef

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2006-11-13 5:07]

Nefis fotograflar ve cok guzel bir sunum. Tebrikler Kazim.

  • Great 
  • akb Gold Star Critiquer [C: 79 W: 0 N: 4] (243)
  • [2006-11-13 7:14]

Merhaba Kazım
Oldukça zor ama başarılı bir çalışma olmuş.Renk ve detaylar çok güzel.harika bir kompozisyon.Elinize sağlık
Ahmet

Hello Kazım ,very good series of behaviour about this raptor species,good photos. Raptorman.

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1575 W: 5 N: 2181] (12252)
  • [2006-11-13 8:04]

Excellente capture,bravo pour l'action.
Merci!
joseh

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 855 W: 23 N: 942] (5111)
  • [2006-11-13 8:36]

Hi Kazim, very interesting collage and great action of these Falco naumanni. Perfect timing and nice contrasted and saturated colors too. Best regards, Didier.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2175 W: 221 N: 4385] (14914)
  • [2006-11-13 8:50]

Hi Kazim

This is indeed a very spectaclural moment you've managed to capture here!
All the four pictures are really great, taken from an excellent POV, with lovely well saturated colors and very good lighting.
A very good note to go along with them, too :)

Bravo and TFS
Horia

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2006-11-13 14:39]

Wonderful collections of shots and they are all great. Lovely colours and details and a great subject

TFS

Karan

Hi Kazim

Excellent selection of shots nicely presented. Each one is clear and sharp with the depth of colour spot on. TFS.

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