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The Falcons page contains 55 images detailing American Kestrels (smallest of the falcons), Prairie and Taiga Merlins (a small, robust and heavily-built Falcon), and Peale’s Peregrine Falcon (fastest animal on Earth, able to exceed 200 mph in a dive). These images were taken in several locations in California, New Mexico and on Sanibel Island, Florida.
Click an image to open a larger version. Use your back button to return to this page.
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Raptor Section Index
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Kestrel 2583 M
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Kestrel 2588 M
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An American Kestrel Male perched in the Willows at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.
All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide. Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M” in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar. Some of the portrait images are also designated as “M”, and are 1500 pixels tall (plus the title bar).
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Kestrel 2590 M
A Male Kestrel in the Willows at Bosque del Apache.
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Kestrel 2941 M
A Female Kestrel fluffing her feathers to ward off the cold.
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The American Kestrel (also known as the Sparrow Hawk) is America’s smallest Falcon. It is the smallest bird of prey at about 6 to 11 inches, and hunts like the White-Tailed Kite, hovering over its prey and diving to catch it. It can see into the ultraviolet, allowing it to track urine trails to the source.
Falcons are closely related to Parrots and Passerines (Sparrows and similar small birds), although their activities as diurnal birds of prey make them more like the Hawks, Eagles, Kites and Harriers. All have a sharply-hooked beak with a cere (soft structure at the base of the bill) housing the nostrils.
Kestrel Male Female Comparison M
The sexes look different. The male has a black and white band at the end of his tail, and black spots on his flanks. Males have blue-gray wings, an smooth orange breast, and an off-white belly and flanks. The male Kestrel’s back has dark, separated streaks. Females are larger than the males, with a mottled orange breast, barred orange feathers to the edges of the wings, and a barred orange back and tail. Males, females and juveniles all have a bluish-gray forehead and two dark vertical facial stripes. Frontal shots showing breast feathers of male, female and juvenile Kestrels are further below.
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Kestrel X9034
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Kestrel X9034c
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A male Kestrel precariously perched atop a branch at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. The image at left is the complete scene as depicted in the full-size image, at right is a detail crop. Note the unvaried orange breast feathers and spotted flanks compared to females and juvenile below.
Kestrel X3216 M
The barred back and mottled flanks of a back-lit American Kestrel female at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.
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Kestrel HS2697
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Kestrel HS2717
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A juvenile Kestrel perched on a branch at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in Southern California. Note the heavily streaked breast and flanks, the barred wings, and the bold facial stripes. Other than the streaked breast and the bold facial stripes, the juvenile Kestrel looks similar to the female.
Kestrel HS2668 M
A molting juvenile about to become a female, taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge. The breast feathers look similar to those of a female but it still retains the bold facial stripes and darker barring on the back.
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Kestrel HS2744 M
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Kestrel HS2730 M
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On the left, a female Kestrel and on the right, a molting juvenile. Note the difference in contrast of the barred back feathers, and compare the facial stripes of the adult on the left to the juvenile in 2668.
Kestrel Hovering X9035 X9041
A male Kestrel in hovering flight, searching for prey. This was taken at great distance with an 850mm lens at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. Note the barred, light feathers of the underside of the wings. Kestrels hunt in flight by hovering over an area, searching for prey. They also perch and watch the surrounding area for approaching prey. Kestrels mostly eat insects (grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles, etc.), rodents like mice and voles, and the occasional small snake or amphibian, small bird, or squirrel. They can see into the ultraviolet, allowing them to track a urine trail back to its source. They strike the prey on the ground.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Kestrel 5035 M
A series of close portraits of a male American Kestrel taken at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
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Kestrel 6021
The dark eye-stripe indicates that this is a young adult male.
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Kestrel 6018
Properly exposing a back-lit bird is challenging, as you want to retain saturation in the sky and definition of shadow detail. It can be especially challenging to retain detail in the eye.
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Kestrel 6004
In my experience, it is somewhat unusual for a Kestrel to allow me to approach close enough for a tight portrait, so when an opportunity like this or the close portraits of the female further below presents itself, I take several shots to capture as many poses as possible. This was a very photogenic bird.
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Kestrel 6035
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Kestrel 6029
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Close portraits of a male American Kestrel at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Kestrel 6025
... this Kestrel was an exceptionally attractive and trusting subject.
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Kestrel Balance Issue 6038 M
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Kestrel Balance Issue 6039 M
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An errant gust of wind nearly blew our hero off his willow branch. Unfortunately, the close framing which I was using for the portraits caused me to cut off the wingtips and tail... these things happen.
Kestrel 6045 M
The classic over-the-shoulder portrait completes this series. I wished that I had a mouse to give him.
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American Kestrel Taking a Bow M
A composite image of an American Kestrel female taking a bow at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Kestrel HS3114 M
An attractive rear profile portrait of an American Kestrel female at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.
Kestrels have two dark spots at the nape of the neck, thought to be “false eyes” protecting it from attack.
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Kestrel HS3132c
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Kestrel HS3121c
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As mentioned earlier, it is unusual to have an opportunity to capture close portraits of a Kestrel, so I took several shots to capture as many poses as possible, Note the mottled breast feathers and barred wings that identify this as a female, and the lighter eye stripe of the fully adult bird.
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Kestrel HS3204
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Kestrel HS3234
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This Kestrel was obviously used to humans, as it stayed calm for an extended period, allowing me to capture some of the best portraits I have ever gotten of a female Kestrel.
Kestrel HS3224
A classic over-the-shoulder frontal portrait of a female Kestrel.
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Kestrel Attitude HS3161
A female American Kestrel giving attitude at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in Southern California.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Prairie Merlin 3373 M
A male Prairie Merlin overlooks a field next to the marsh at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
The Merlin is a robust, heavily-built small falcon, popular in falconry since the Middle Ages for its agility and speed. The females are typically larger than the males. Males have reddish brown tinting on the belly and bluish-brown wings. Females have drab brown wings and a buff belly color, and are generally lighter than males. Juvenile birds look very similar to the females.
Due to shading of the bird, it is difficult to tell if this is a wintering Taiga Merlin or a Prairie Merlin. The Taiga Merlin resides in Northern States and Canada, is generally a little darker with a darker mustache under the eye, and winters in the southern states and on both coasts. The Prairie Merlin is lighter, resides in the central states and winters in southern states. Bosque del Apache, NM is a popular wintering location, and there is enough color variation to make identification difficult.
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Prairie Merlin 4107c M
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Prairie Merlin 4109c M
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A Male Prairie Merlin shows the reddish brown color of his belly, perched on a willow at Bosque del Apache.
Prairie Merlin 4110
Merlins have lighter facial markings than other Falcons, a white eyebrow stripe, and a small, dark beak.
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Prairie Merlin 5875
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Prairie Merlin Female 4149
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Female Prairie Merlins. Note the pale buff belly and lighter, drab brown wings.
Prairie Merlin 4152
A Prairie Merlin in flight at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. Note the barred wings.
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Taiga Merlin Sunset 1023 M
A Taiga Merlin at Sunset on Sanibel Island, Florida. Taiga Merlins winter along both coasts.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Peale’s Peregrine 3211
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Peale’s Peregrine 3212
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Peale’s Peregrine is the largest subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon, the world’s fastest bird.
In 2005, Ken Franklin recorded his Peregrine Falcon “Frightful” at a speed of 242 miles per hour when she dove out of a plane at 17,000 feet. Falcons dive in a diamond shape up to 150 mph, then elongate their bodies and hyper-streamline to reach 200 mph and higher. Ken dove out of a plane from a higher altitude and hyper-streamlined to reach high velocity, and Frightful was released from her plane at 17,000 feet to catch him. Recorded by a computerized sensor, Frightful reached a speed of 242 miles per hour one week after setting a 183 mph speed on a National Geographic television segment, setting a new world animal speed record.
Peale’s Peregrine 3214
The Peale’s Peregrine is a large falcon the size of a Raven, with a blue-gray back, crown and facial markings and barred gray underneath. Like most Raptors, the females are significantly larger than the males. The mostly eat medium-sized birds such as pigeons, but they occasionally take small mammals, reptiles and insects. This Peale’s Peregrine at Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge in Southern California came for a high concentration of ducks and shorebirds. Peregrines breed from Washington and British Columbia to Alaska and eastern Russia.
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Peale’s Peregrine 3220
This was such an unusual opportunity that I took shots at 500mm, 700mm and 1000mm. 3220 above shows the entire scene at 500mm. 3214 and the composite below are 1:1 crops.
Peregrine Falcons have especially strong flight muscles and a larger than normal keel formed from their breastbone, where these muscles attach. They have pointed wings with stiff, unslotted feathers that have a narrow profile, which along with their streamlined shape in flight, reduces drag and allows the Peregrine to achieve very high speeds. They have a high concentration of red muscle fiber which increases oxygen intake, a large strong heart and highly efficient lungs. Their nostrils are protected from air pressure at high speed by a bony tubercle which directs onrushing air around the nostrils. They use the nictating membranes (translucent eyelids) to protect their eyes at high speed and to spread tears and clear debris from the eyes. Peregrine Falcons are highly adapted for speed.
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Peale’s Peregrine 3220 3218
The linked image is a 1505 x 1092 composite of 1:1 (100%) detail crops, taken at 500mm.
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Peale’s Peregrine 3229 M
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Peale’s Peregrine 3230 M
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3229, 3230 and 3232 (below) were all taken at 700mm.
Peale’s Peregrine 3232 M
The original population of Peale’s (Pacific) Peregrine Falcons is in the Pacific Northwest from Washington State to Alaska, but these birds are very popular amongst falconers, and many have been introduced in areas far south of their original range. Peregrine Falcons are also used to scare other birds away from airports. They became endangered due to the use of DDT in the 1940s-1970s as the pesticide reduced calcium content in eggshells. They recovered after DDT was banned in 1972.
In the USA, Canada, Germany and Poland, Peregrines are bred in captivity. The chicks are reared using techniques which do not allow them to imprint on handlers, and are later released into the wild.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Peale’s Peregrine 3283
In this section are a number of close portraits of the Peale’s Peregrine Falcon taken at Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge at 1000mm. There are other portraits from this series in the Bolsa Chica section. Achieving a sharp image at 1/500 second with a 1000mm lens is rather challenging if you desire perfect results at full size.
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Peale’s Peregrine 3292
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Peale’s Peregrine 3289
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The Peregrine Falcon is considered to be the supreme hunter among birds of prey. It hunts for small birds such as sparrows, medium birds such as ducks, pigeons and herons, and has even taken large birds such as geese (one was seen killing a large Sandhill Crane in a dive). They also take small raptors like Kestrels, and typically hunt at dawn and dusk. They like to find an area where the migrant birds congregate, such as shorebirds and other birds that gather in open areas. This one found a great hunting site at Bolsa Chica.
Peale’s Peregrine 3293 M
A Peale’s (Pacific) Peregrine Falcon perched on a branch overlooking the Bolsa Chica wetlands.
The M-sized Portrait image above is 1000 x 1590, and was also taken at 1/500 sec. at 1000mm.
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Peale’s Peregrine 3312
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Peale’s Peregrine 3296
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Two final portraits showing the Peale’s Peregrine Falcon taken at 500mm and 700mm.
Peale’s Peregrine Falcon SXL
A 1200 x 1440 version of the SXL Composite image (3005 x 3500) showing a Peale’s Peregrine Falcon at Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website. The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.
Direct Links:
Eagles Red-Tailed Hawks Assorted Hawks Owl and Harrier Falcons & Kites Osprey
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Click the Display Composite above to return to the Raptors Index (or use the navigation bars below to select another section or page)
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