Sinai bird of prey (1 Viewer)

[sinai dreamer]

I am a complete beginner when it comes to birdwatching but I really enjoy it. Living in the Sinai is wonderful, especially at the moment with all the migrating birds. This week the skies are full of bee-eaters,swallows and swifts. There are quite a few of these around too...can anyone tell me what it is? Thanks!!
Sinai

 

[Silvio Davison]

Looks like a male Lesser Kestrel...

Ciao


Silv

 

[JANJ]

Hi SB.

Your bird looks like a Common Kestrel. male (Falco tinnunculus).

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=6767

Can however be confused with Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) - which occur in your area also.

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=11708

Note the less wellmarked underwing producing a paler underwing, together with shorter tail and broader looking wings.

A male Lesser Kestrel (with female:

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=11714

Male Common Kestrel:

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=6104

Note the differences in the head and underparts pattern between the two.
Also note in male Lesser the lack of markings on the upperparts and less marked underparts and grey coverts on upperwing - which if seen from above well is quite obvious in flight:

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=11827

Your bird looks rather rufous on the underparts -which is a male Lesser Kestrel character, however the shape and wing formula, that is to say the lenght of the outer primaries in relation to each others, I´ll be back with this if someone protests to my decision.

JanJ

 

[sinai dreamer]

Thanks for the speedy response,Silv, and for the great photographs and useful information, Jan. You answered my next question...how can you tell?
I often see birds of prey soaring high above the desert , but the books that I have only show birds of prey at rest ( landed?). At least I know where to come for answers now! Thanks.
Sinai

 

[Silvio Davison]

Jan,

The underwing looks very like Lesser Kestrel. For instance, this bird hasn't got darker tertials and secondaries as in your link of common Kestrel:

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=6767

The bird shows a generally pale underwing with plain secondaries and primaries edgings (as rest of wing). Also, the rusty tone of the underparts point towards Lesser Kestrel surely? there's a bigger variability in underwing colour ( and wing formula at times) than there is in underpart colour...

If you compare the bird to this Lesser Kestrel you can see the plain effect of secondaries and primaries:

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=16649

The only odd thing is the lack of barring on the underwing coverts, but it can happen in very abraded adults!


Ciao


Silv

 

[skbirder]

Hard to be absolutely sure but I agree with Jan that it looks good for Common Kestrel rather than Lesser due to the wing formula and overall shape. In the wingtip, the outermost primary looks relatively short - should be longish and distinctly longer than p7 on Lesser. The Common Kestrels in Israel are in my experience paler and more Lesser-like in plumage tone on the underside than our birds in Europe.

 

[Silvio Davison]

I won't protest to Jan's decision then


Ciao


Silv

 

[Motmot]

If it wasn't for the wing formula I'd also be on your side Silvio. Confusing pic for sure. Wings look broad enough for Lesser. Underparts colours look also fine.

 

[Motmot]

Not so sure about wing formula after checking some images:

http://aym.juntaex.es/webs/dgma/web_primilla/index.html

http://www.fotonatura.org/galerias/fotos/161630/

Hmmmmmm....

 

[Motmot]

Found this amazing link with tons of great Lesser Kestrel pics:

http://www.javiermilla.es/primillas/index.htm


Check also other links on top of page. Can't speak...

 

[macrourus]

wing formula is just usefull in spring bird that has finished the complete moult (adult advanced, mostly males) while is totally useless in late moulting odd bird (mostly oddfemale with old retained P10) and in autumn bird, chiefly in 2nd cy with retained juv. P10 or P10-9...

However, this bird looks really LK like so Silvio is to be justified, also because he did not seen African and Middle Eastern Kestrels...

The clue came from the moult pattern combined with remiges and rectirces pattern: such barered remiges would be justified by 2nd cy LK, having fully retained juv. remiges. However, by April, only the central tail pair T1 would be new or at most T1-2, being unbarred and clean or in some showing a 1st adult type pattern (narrowely barred)... in our bird the whole tail is clean and unbarred and perfectly adult-like. So it is an adult, therefore the remiges should be clean and unbarred in LK while like so in pale and sun bleached ME Kestrels. In 2cy LK by now there should be P4 or P5 moulted, then prtruding and unmarked (not always though).

Ciao

Andrea C

 

[Motmot]

wing formula is just usefull in spring bird that has finished the complete moult (adult advanced, mostly males) while is totally useless in late moulting odd bird (mostly oddfemale with old retained P10) and in autumn bird, chiefly in 2nd cy with retained juv. P10 or P10-9...

However, this bird looks really LK like so Silvio is to be justified, also because he did not seen African and Middle Eastern Kestrels...

The clue came from the moult pattern combined with remiges and rectirces pattern: such barered remiges would be justified by 2nd cy LK, having fully retained juv. remiges. However, by April, only the central tail pair T1 would be new or at most T1-2, being unbarred and clean or in some showing a 1st adult type pattern (narrowely barred)... in our bird the whole tail is clean and unbarred and perfectly adult-like. So it is an adult, therefore the remiges should be clean and unbarred in LK while like so in pale and sun bleached ME Kestrels. In 2cy LK by now there should be P4 or P5 moulted, then prtruding and unmarked (not always though).

Ciao

Andrea C

This implyes that all adult LK show unbarred and clean remiges but that's not the case with many adults in the link I provided above. Not sure yet if the subject bird can be 100% ided on this not too clear image.

 

[Bubbs]

I haven't gone through all the links but then then I found this.....

http://www.pbase.com/dophoto/image/42072012

John.

 

[sinai dreamer]

What amazing photos, Motmot! Thanks for posting that link...I enjoyed seeing those birds.
I appreciate all the feedback and help. I've learned something today!

 

[JANJ]

As skbirder mentioned Common Kestrels in southern parts of Europe and Israel tends to have a deeper rufous underparts inviting to confusing with Lesser Kestrel.
The mentioned wing formula is quite evident in sd,s bird - with shorter outermost p10,being equal in lenght to p7 creating the 'CK formula' where p9 & p 8 sticks out as two equally long 'fingers' forming the wingtip.

http://www.birdpix.nl/album_page.php?pic_id=39192

In Lesser with p 10 longer than p 7, making more or less p9 wingtip:

http://www.tarsiger.com/images/komi/fal_nau_2_002_6921.jpg

Also note the tendency in CK to have narrower dark on the wingtip compared to the wider dark area in LK. Of course the wing formula could be affected by moult and is therefore only suitable to use as an ID guide when not moulting primaries. Also difficult to observe in the field at long distance, and as can be seen in some photos, angle can alter the impression and be quite misleading - and it should be used with causion.

JanJ

 

[JANJ]

In this set of Lessers, from the great link provided by Eduardo, the variation of the male underwing - both coverts and remiges is quite obvious. Whether this variation is indivually or age related I´m not sure.

http://www.javiermilla.es/primillas/index05.htm

JanJ

 

[Motmot]

Some barred males:

http://www.javiermilla.es/primillas/06_2/CRW_0790_600px.jpg

http://www.javiermilla.es/primillas/06_6/IMG_8188_600px.jpg

http://www.javiermilla.es/primilla06_03/IMG_1546_800px.jpg

 

[macrourus]

sorry may be I was not clear enough... the remiges are not always unbarred, but with a full set of unbarred tail, then is not a 2nd cy in april as said (may be in late may and june yes) that's what I mean, so in april a full adult-like tail combined with such kind of remiges is not really ok for Kestrel, this combined with small dark wing tip (obviously wider in LK also and even more in barred remiges birds), wing formula not ok in early spirng (not moulting birds), suggestion of dark moustache (though not really strong), and other characters are pointing toward a richly couloured K and not a LK, even an odd one.

I reported barred remiges already in some papers such one in British Birds and another in prep. for BOU Bulletin (I think) about a great surprise on LK from Asia ...

all the best

thanks Eduardo for the great webpage

Usually is related to you8nger adult, but study of many ringed bird is necessary before being sure about this.

Ciao

Andrea

 

[Motmot]

Thanks for the clarification Andrea. Now I fully understand your thoughts I'm 95% () convinced it's a tinnunculus.
Thanks again,
Eduardo

 

[Motmot]

Found this old thread about another not too clear oriental Falco worth revisiting:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=35434&highlight=oriental+Jackdaw