COMMON KESTREL

Falco tinnunculus

English: Common Kestrel.
German: Turmfalke.
French: Faucon crécerelle.

Clasificación/Clasification

Order: Falconiformes.
Family: Falconidae.

Longitud/Length

31-37 cm.

Envergadura/Wingspan

68-78 cm.

Aves relacionadas/Similar species

The Common Kestrel could resemble (in certain cases) a Eurasian Sparrowhawk, which has a gray back and yellow or orange eyes.

The Common Kestrel has a back coated in ochre tones speckled with dark, which separates it from the rest of the small raptors, with the exception of the female of the Lesser Kestrel, which has clear claws and the outermost primary is longer than the seventh. On the other hand, the male Lesser Kestrel lack speckled backs and have a bluish stripe on their wings.

Sexo/Sexing

Adult males have a gray head with a slight dark eyebrow. The back feathers have a dark subterminal (dot) mark. The rectrices are coated in a gray-bluish tone, which can appear without stripes and with stripes (something subtle). The uppertail coverts and the rump link uniformly in the same tones of the rectrices, without stripes. The lesser covert have scattered dark speckling. On the other hand, adult females have a brown head with black stripes. The rectrices, uppertail coverts and the rump are brown with a marked stripe and generally with grayish tinges. The speckling on the back and secondary covert is quite dense, with a dark brown and triangular-shaped feathers. Adult females have a very variable plumage that can range from the design of a juvenile specimen to that of a male, due to their gray rump, rectrices, and head.

Edad/Ageing

It is possible to recognize 3 different ages:

Juvenile specimen: these individuals are very similar to the female, only with new plumage and without limits of molt in rectrices and flight feathers. The primary coverts have a clear tip forming a line. The secondary coverts have a wide clear tip. The black subterminal band of the outer rectrices has a crescent shape.

1st/2nd year specimen: distinguishable by the large contrast between the adult’s new feathers and the juveniles retained and worn on the back and wing coverts. The primary and secondary coverts are of the juvenile generation, presenting a wide clear tip. The outer rectrices are of the juvenile generation with the black subterminal band in a crescent shape. Males have a rump with a strong contrast between the blue-tinged adult molted feathers and the leonine retained juvenile feathers.

Adult specimen: lacks juvenile feathers on the body and wings. The primary coverts lack the clear tip. The secondary coverts have a fine clear tip. The rectrices are gray-bluish, without stripes in males (or a testimonial stripe) and leonine in color, with more or less grayish tinge, in females. Females have a black subterminal band on the outer rectrices in a square shape.

Muda/Moult

Common Kestrels perform a complete post-nuptial molt, which generally tends to be completed in the month of October. The post-juvenile molt is partial and limited to body feathers, scapular feathers, and, on occasion, the median and lesser coverts. This process generally ends in the month of November.

Configuración del plumaje/Plumage configuration

Primaries: 10 per wing.
Secundaries: 13-14 per wing.
Rectrices: 12.

Observaciones/Remarks

Link: http://blascozumeta.com/

La obtención de este material ha sido posible gracias al permiso necesario de la Junta de Andalucía.

AUTORIZACIÓN DE LA DIRECTORA GENERAL DE MEDIO NATURAL, BIODIVERSIDAD Y ESPACIOS PROTEGIDOS DE LA CONSEJERÍA DE AGRICULTURA, GANADERÍA, PESCA Y DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DE LA JUNTA DE ANDALUCÍA, PARA LA CESIÓN DE MUESTRAS BIOLÓGICAS DE ESPECIES DE FAUNA (ARTÍCULO 9 DE LA LEY 8/2003, DE 28 DE OCTUBRE, DE LA FLORA Y LA FAUNA SILVESTRES).

Medidas/Measures

Biometría/Biometrics

Adult specimen:
Beak tip to pupil center:
Tarsus:

Adult male specimen

1.- Left wing primaries. 2.- Primaries. 3.- Details of the outer vane of the primaries. 4.- Details of the inner vane of the primaries. 5.- Details of the tip of the outer primaries. 6.- Details of the tip of the inner primaries. 7.- Details of the inner vane of S1. 8.- Details of the inner vane of P9. 9.- Details of the calamus of the outer primaries. 10.- Secondaries (S13-S7). 11.- Secondaries (S6-S1). 12.- Secondaries and tertials of the left wing. 13.- Details of the tips of the central secondaries. 14.- Details of the outer vane of the inner secondaries. 15.- Details of the outer vane of the outer secondaries. 16.- Details of the tips of the outer secondaries. 17.- Tertials. 18.- Details of the tertials. 19.- Details of the calamus of the secondaries and tertials. 20.- Primaries, secondaries, and tertials of the left wing. 21.- Primaries, secondaries, and tertials of the left wing. 22.- Primaries, secondaries, and tertials. Primary coverts and greater coverts. 23.- Primaries, secondaries, and tertials. Primary coverts and greater coverts + median coverts. 24.- Primaries, secondaries, tertials. Primary coverts and secondary coverts (G, M, and L). Alula. 25.- Details of the primary coverts. 26.- Details of the greater coverts. 27.- Details of the secondary coverts. 28.- Details of the lesser coverts. 29.- Details of the secondary coverts (G, M, and L). 30.- Primary coverts. 31.- Greater coverts. 32.- Alulas. 33.- Rectrices. 34.- Rectrices. 35.- Details of the calamus of the rectrices. 36.- Details of the tip of the outer rectrices (R6 and R5). 37.- Details of the central rectrices (R1). 38.- Rectrices + uppertail coverts. 39.- Uppertail coverts. 40.- Rectrices + undertail coverts. 41.- Details of the undertail coverts. 42.- Left scapula. 43.- Feathers of the left scapula. 44.- Infra-primary coverts. 45.- Infra-secondary coverts. 46.- Assembly of the back feathers. 47.- Back feathers. 48.- Feathers of the left stocking. 49.- Feathers of the left axilla. 50.- Assembly of the left flank. 51.- Feathers of the left flank. 52.- Assembly of the chest feathers. 53.- Chest feathers.