Species:

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

Change species:
Main Images:
Length (cm):
32-35
12-12
Wingspan (cm):
71-80
26-29
Weight (gram):
156-252
11-16
Size group:
Crow-size
Sparrow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Medium sized falcon with long tail and long wings. Upperparts brick-red, underparts pale buff with dark speckles. Male; light grey head and tail. Female; brick-red head and tail. Both sexes with broad, black terminal tail-band visible on both sides. Evident, but diffuse moustache-stripe. Hovers more frequently than other raptors. Tail and wings gives a more rounded impression when soaring. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel.

Sound:

Most common call a fast series of short, high-pitched "ke-ke-ke". Much less raucous than Merlin or Peregrine.

Call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

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

Sounds:Recorded by Francesco Sottile,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Small martin with dark brown chest-band and white throat. Upperparts dark brown, underparts white. Underside of wings dark. Juveniles with light fringes to brown feathers, and buff throat. Flight more elegant than Barn Swallow and House Martin. Often changes direction but keeps altitude. More fluttering flight than House Martin, with less gliding.

Sound:

Contact call a mono- or disyllabic "trrrrt". Similar to House Martin but more raucous and less crisp, with less rolling r's, and with stable pitch throughout. Song a primitive improvisation on the contact call. Alarm call similar to House Martin; a sharp plaintive "tseep", but somewhat purer and more drawn.

Contact 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

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