Kestrel (1 Viewer)

[timmyjones]

On Thursday last week my dad found a dead kestrel on the side of the road near Upton warren so I took it in to my biology teacher at school who put it in a fridge until today when we dissected it and found out that it was a male born this year and it had about 15 caterpillars in its stomach. Just thought that I'd share this with you.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Timmy, if you still have the bird then please send it to the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (details here: http://pbms.ceh.ac.uk/ ).

This is a long-running (>40 years) scheme that monitors pollution in birds of prey, and it was they who found the link between birds of prey declining and DDT, leading to a ban. It's a very worthwhile scheme.

They need the liver mainly, so if the bird still has that then please send it all to the address given on this page http://pbms.ceh.ac.uk/sendSamples.htm (ignore the bit about it being suspended due to avian flu - the webpage just hasn't been updated).

You get a report on the bird, including likely cause of death, and also your postage costs refunded in stamps.

It's well worth contributing to either now if you can or in the future.

 

[JRE]

15 caterpillars? wow!

 

[Cosworthlady]

aw. What a shame. Wonder why it died.

 

[lark o'dell]

yer i wonder why it died?

 

[Capercaillie71]

it had about 15 caterpillars in its stomach.

That's a lot of caterpillars. I watched a kestrel hovering over a stubble field today. When it dropped to the ground it picked up a worm and ate it. I guess I always thought of them looking for voles and mice, but they must eat quite a lot of these smaller things that don't run away as quickly.

 

[jason stannage]

On Thursday last week my dad found a dead kestrel on the side of the road near Upton warren so I took it in to my biology teacher at school who put it in a fridge until today when we dissected it and found out that it was a male born this year and it had about 15 caterpillars in its stomach. Just thought that I'd share this with you.

hi tim,
Bird etiquette and social customs demand that dead birds be given an
immediate funeral. Caterpillars, being the funeral directors of the
animal kingdom, take care of this nasty business. Bird funerals usually
take place in private, though celebrity birds are commemorated in a
highly public manner, usually in a tree in the heart of a city. If you
see a spattered sidewalk, spattered cars, all under a tree full of
hundreds of squawking birds, chances are that's the funeral of a high
ranking bird. Maybe a starling.

 

[timmyjones]

We guess that it had been hit by a car but it was in perfect condition sorry Poecile got rid of the bird afterwards but we did get some measurments if they are wanted as my biology teacher is a ringer as well.