Belted Kingfisher vs Common Kestrel

Megaceryle alcyon comparado com Falco tinnunculus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Belted Kingfisher Common Kestrel
Nome científico Megaceryle alcyon Falco tinnunculus
Ordem Coraciiformes Falconiformes
Família Alcedinidae Falconidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 34,0 cm (13.4 in)
Envergadura 53,0 cm (20.9 in) 74,0 cm (29.1 in)
Peso 150,0 g (5.29 oz) 190,0 g (6.70 oz)
Dieta Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving from a perch or hover. Also takes crayfish, frogs, … Primarily voles and mice, also lizards, large insects, and small birds. Hunts by hovering at …
Tamanho da postura 6-7 1-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Belted Kingfisher 33,0 cm
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Envergadura
Belted Kingfisher 53,0 cm
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Peso
Belted Kingfisher 150,0 g
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Belted Kingfisher only

Nenhum

Common Kestrel only

Belted Kingfisher

Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and coastlines with clear water and suitable perches. Nests in burrows dug into earthen banks.

Common Kestrel

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

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Song & Call Comparison

Belted Kingfisher

Canto

A loud, rattling 'klee-klee-klee-klee' — mechanical and penetrating. Given in flight along rivers. Also a harsh 'kekekek' near nest. Far louder than Common Kingfisher.

Common Kestrel

Canto

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Belted Kingfisher

North America from Alaska and Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Northern populations migrate south in winter.

Common Kestrel

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

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Estado de conservação

Least Concern

Belted Kingfisher

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

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How to Tell Them Apart

Belted Kingfisher

Plumagem

Blue-grey upperparts with a shaggy crest and a white collar. Males have a single blue-grey breast band; females have an additional rufous belly band.

Bico

Long, heavy, straight, dark dagger-like bill

Common Kestrel

Plumagem

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.

Bico

Short, hooked grey bill with a yellow cere

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About These Birds

Belted Kingfisher

The belted kingfisher is unusual in that the female is more colorful than the male, sporting an additional rufous belly band. These noisy birds announce their territory with a distinctive rattling call. They excavate nesting burrows up to 2.4 meters deep into riverbanks using their heavy bills.

Common Kestrel

Peneireiro-vulgar (Falco tinnunculus) — 32-38 cm. Falcão mais comum da Europa e Ásia, reconhecível pelo pairar estacionário com batimento rápido de asas enquanto caça. Macho com cabeça e cauda cinzentas e dorso castanho avermelhado manchado; fêmea mais barrada. Habita campos abertos, zonas costeiras e áreas urbanas. Alimenta-se de pequenos mamíferos, insetos e lagartos.

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