Species:

Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

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Length (cm):
29-32
35-37
Wingspan (cm):
58-72
90-100
Weight (gram):
90-208
220-370
Size group:
Crow-size
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Easily confused with Kestrel, especially in female and immature plumage. Adult male with clean, grey cheeks, no moustache-stripe and no streaking on crown. Upper wing, greater coverts are grey, contrasting with brick red forewing and back without dark spots. Belly sparsely spotted. Underside of wings paler with less barring than Kestrel, and with more pronounced dark wing tips and trailing edge. This is also more or less visible in females and young birds. Female and young birds has a less stern look than Kestrel, due to more faint facial markings. Mask do not extend behind the eye. Tail slighty shorter than Kestrel, usually with central feathers slightly elongated (rare in Kestrel). Talons pale, not black. Flight light and fast, with shallow wing-beats. Hovers less than Kestrel, but soars on up-winds. Identification of female/immature birds requires a combination of plumage, structural and behavioural (flight action) characters.

Sound:

Contact call diagnostic, and quite different from Kestrel. A di- or trisyllabic "che che che", resembling Partridge in timbre, with two first syllables accentuated. Frequently used in colonies an din flocks. Also a Kestrel-like, plaintive trill "vriiiiii".

Contact call:

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See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Patrik Åberg, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

A medium sized, brown and long-winged owl, with long ear-tufts and deep orange eyes. Only half the size of Eagle Owl. Differs from the more similar Short-eared Owl by darker (orange) eyes, longer ear-tufts and heavily streaked lower belly. In flight, note paler wing-tips (only finely barred, not tipped black).

Sound:

Song a series of very deep, monotonous "hooooo"s, quite widely spaced. Uttered about once every 2-3 seconds. Sometimes rises in pitch, but with each "hoo" being constant. Rich repertoire of calls. Other sounds include; a nasal "eeeeeaaa" reminiscent of Collared Dove, nasal mewing and bill clicking.

Song, call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:AlexandreRoux01, Licence,Link,

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Raptors
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Owls
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Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file