Handsome American Kestrel
by Kathy Kelly
Title
Handsome American Kestrel
Artist
Kathy Kelly
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
I love Kestrels. Not only are they the smallest and most common raptor in North America, they are also one of the most colorful. This male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast handsomely with his rusty-red back and tail. The females are mostly reddish brown lacking the slate blue coloring on the wings. Both sexes have the black vertical markings on their faces.
Photographed in Maryland, this male searches the meadow for mice and grasshoppers. Fortunately for photographers, Kestrels like exposed perches such as telephone poles, wires, fence posts, and dead branches on trees. That said, they only about the size of a Mourning Dove and often end up as prey for larger birds. This one watched nervously as a Red-tailed Hawk flew by.
Kestrels are swift, erratic fliers, and can travel at up to 39 mph and can dive at speeds up to 60 mph preferring to snatch their victims from the ground. They have the long, swept back wings that are typical of falcons, allowing them to be very maneuverable in the air.
They eat snakes, lizards, bats, smaller birds, mice, voles, and insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas and dragonflies.
Featured in the following groups:
World With Colors
Nikon Full Frame Cameras
FAA Portraits - Birds
Animal Photographs
Contests:
10 of Your Best Images - Second Place
Uploaded
May 14th, 2018
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Comments (18)
Kathy Kelly
Hi Jane, It was tricky I admit. I experimented with several Photoshop filters and masking techniques.:-)
Jane Loomis
Beautiful bird! How did you ever get that pretty color background with such a soft bokeh?
Robert VanDerWal
Wonderful American Kestrel Portrait!!! A pair nested on top of our condo building in Denver and I would encounter them often in the large tree next to my balcony.
Kathy Kelly replied:
You have a pair on the top of your condo bldg? I am soooo jealous! I have to really hunt for them here in Maryland. :-)
Sam Rino
Beautiful Kestrel portrait !! One of my favorite flacons after peregrines . Nice Job Kathy :)
Shoal Hollingsworth
Fantastic portrait of this gorgeous Kestrel. I love this little ones as well but have only been blessed with photographing 1 so far.
Sarah Batalka
Congrats on your win in the Ten of Your Best contest, Kathy! Stunning capture, magnificent bird! L/F
Catherine Sullivan
Excellent capture, Kathy, and the background enhances so well the colours of this beautiful bird. Thank you for the interesting description.
Kathy Kelly replied:
Thanks Catherine. They are so handsome and I love to watch these little guys fly.
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