Common Kestrel vs Demoiselle Crane

Falco tinnunculus مقارنةً بـ Anthropoides virgo

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Side-by-Side Comparison

السمة Common Kestrel Demoiselle Crane
الاسم العلمي Falco tinnunculus Anthropoides virgo
الرتبة Falconiformes Gruiformes
الفصيلة Falconidae Gruidae
حالة الحفاظ Least Concern Least Concern
الطول 34,0 cm (13.4 in) 90,0 cm (35.4 in)
طول الجناح 74,0 cm (29.1 in) 175,0 cm (68.9 in)
الوزن 190,0 g (6.70 oz) 2500,0 g (88.18 oz)
النظام الغذائي Primarily voles and mice, also lizards, large insects, and small birds. Hunts by hovering at … Seeds, grasses, insects, snails, worms, and small vertebrates. Forages in grasslands and agricultural fields.
عدد البيض في الوضع 1-7 2
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Demoiselle Crane 90,0 cm
طول الجناح
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Demoiselle Crane 175,0 cm
الوزن
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
Demoiselle Crane 2500,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

الموائل المشتركة

Common Kestrel only

Demoiselle Crane only

Common Kestrel

Open country including farmland, grasslands, moorland, and urban areas. Common along motorways and in cities across Europe.

Demoiselle Crane

Dry grasslands, savannas, and semi-desert. Nests on the ground in open country, often near water. Winters in agricultural fields.

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Song & Call Comparison

Common Kestrel

الغناء

A shrill, repeated 'kee-kee-kee-kee' or 'kik-ik-ik', especially near nest. Alarm call is a nasal chattering. Generally less vocal than larger falcons. Calls ring clearly in open country.

Demoiselle Crane

الغناء

A high-pitched, bugling 'karr-r-r' in flight. Also gives softer clucking and purring contact calls. Migrating flocks produce a continuous musical babbling audible from great distance.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Common Kestrel

Europe, Asia, and Africa. One of the most common and widespread raptors in the Old World.

Demoiselle Crane

Central Eurasia from the Black Sea to Mongolia and northeastern China. Winters in India and sub-Saharan Africa.

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حالة الحفاظ

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

Least Concern

Demoiselle Crane

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How to Tell Them Apart

Common Kestrel

الريش

Males have a blue-grey head and tail with a rufous back spotted with black. Females are rufous-brown with heavy barring. Both have a dark moustachial stripe.

المنقار

Short, hooked grey bill with a yellow cere

Demoiselle Crane

الريش

Pale blue-grey body with a black head, neck, and breast plumes. White ear tufts extend behind the red eyes. Long black tertials drape over the tail.

المنقار

Short, yellowish-olive bill, shorter than other cranes

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About These Birds

Common Kestrel

The common kestrel is Europe's most abundant falcon, famous for its ability to hover motionless in the wind while scanning for prey. Research has shown kestrels can see ultraviolet light, allowing them to detect vole urine trails that reflect UV. The species has adapted remarkably well to urban environments.

Demoiselle Crane

The demoiselle crane is the smallest crane species but undertakes one of the most grueling migrations, crossing the Himalayas at altitudes over 8,000 meters to reach wintering grounds in India. Named for its elegant appearance by Marie Antoinette, it is the second most abundant crane species in the world.

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