The falcon kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) is a bird of prey of the family of the Falconidé S. It is one of the most common raptors of France with the tubes. Its small is the gib.

Morphological characteristics

  • Its size is from 32 to 36 cm length
  • Its scale is from 65 to 80 cm.
  • Its weight is from 190 to 240 G for the male and from 220 to 300 G for the female.
  • the female has a russet-red tail. The final part of this tail is black.
  • the male with the head and the tail gray slate. Its final part is also black.

Characteristics with the flight

See also: Flight (animal)

The falcon kestrel practices the “beaten flight”, the “planed flight”, and it “ flight Holy Spirit ”. It is not really a hovering, because it remains on the spot while flying vis-a-vis in the wind with the deployed tail. In action of hunting its flight is characteristic: one speaks about flight in “Holy Spirit”. This mode of hunting distinguishes it from the other “predatory” birds. The falcon kestrel is a diurnal animal.

Food mode

Distribution and habitat

One finds the falcon kestrel in the totality of the Europe in Africa (in particular in Tunisia, in Algérie, with the Morocco) and in Asia. It affectionate the cultivated areas (not very wooded), the Moor S, the Mountain pasture S, is open environments. One can incidentally meet it downtown. One often sees it in the middle of the fields, posed on a wire or a post.

Song

Its cry is a succession of emitted Ki-Ki-Ki in a repeated way.

Reproduction

The bridal parades start as of March. During the bridal parade, the falcons kestrels devote themselves to air continuations which can be very noisy. The male courts its female while bringing a prey to him. The female lays 2 to 7 eggs annually. Those are of white color with marked cream of red brick. The nesting takes place from April at August. The duration of incubation is from 27 to 31 days. The young people remain from 28 to 32 days with the Nid. Then after their first take-off, the parents will ensure their training during still surroundings 28 weeks. Only the female broods regularly. The male supplies the female.

The falcons kestrels do not build their nest themselves. They nest in the old nests of Pie S or crow S, in anfractuosities of the walls, the trees or the rocks. Sometimes they nest in the turns, the old men Grenier S or the Clocher S. the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris shelter in particular a small colony nesting and alive in its bell-towers. There are even falcons which nidifient in the skyscrapers of Defense

A WEBCAM was placed in a nest of falcon kestrel to follow a range until its take-off. Click here to go on the site

Migration

The falcons kestrels are migrating partial. They can migrate from in September August to return to nest in April - May. They winter frequently on the spot (especially for the falcons kestrels originating in Western Europe).

Other Falcons

There exist other falcons that the kestrel, of which the Falco sparverius or Kestrel of America and the Falco naumanni or Crécerellette Falcon.

External bonds

Be-X-old: Звычайнаяпустальга Zh-min-nan: Âng-eng

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