Common Kestrel vs Common Kingfisher

Falco tinnunculus comparado com Alcedo atthis

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Common Kestrel Common Kingfisher
Nome científico Falco tinnunculus Alcedo atthis
Ordem Falconiformes Coraciiformes
Família Falconidae Alcedinidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento 34,0 cm (13.4 in) 17,0 cm (6.7 in)
Envergadura 74,0 cm (29.1 in) 25,0 cm (9.8 in)
Peso 190,0 g (6.70 oz) 36,0 g (1.27 oz)
Dieta Primarily voles and mice, also lizards, large insects, and small birds. Hunts by hovering at … Small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans. Hunts from a low perch over water, diving headfirst …
Tamanho da postura 1-7 3-10
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Common Kingfisher 17,0 cm
Envergadura
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Common Kingfisher 25,0 cm
Peso
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
Common Kingfisher 36,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Common Kestrel only

Nenhum

Common Kingfisher only

Nenhum

Common Kestrel

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

Common Kingfisher

Clear, slow-flowing rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds with suitable perching and nesting banks. Requires clean water with good fish populations.

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Song & Call Comparison

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.

Common Kingfisher

Canto

A sharp, penetrating 'chee' whistle given in flight, often the first indication of its presence. Short, shrill single note as it darts low over rivers. Contact call is a rippling …

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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.

Common Kingfisher

Widespread across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter.

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Estado de conservação

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

Least Concern

Common Kingfisher

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How to Tell Them Apart

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

Common Kingfisher

Plumagem

Brilliant electric blue upperparts and orange underparts. Blue-green crown with darker barring. White throat patch and cheek spots. A flash of blue in flight.

Bico

Long, straight, dagger-like dark bill — orange base on the lower mandible in females

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About These Birds

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.

Common Kingfisher

The common kingfisher is a dazzling jewel of waterways, its iridescent blue plumage caused by light refraction in the feather structure rather than pigment. These birds inspired the design of the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan — the shape of their bill was copied to reduce sonic booms when trains exit tunnels.

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