Common Kestrel vs Rock Pigeon

Falco tinnunculus comparado com Columba livia

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Atributo Common Kestrel Rock Pigeon
Nome científico Falco tinnunculus Columba livia
Ordem Falconiformes Columbiformes
Família Falconidae Columbidae
Estado de conservação Least Concern Least Concern
Comprimento 34,0 cm (13.4 in) 33,0 cm (13.0 in)
Envergadura 74,0 cm (29.1 in) 68,0 cm (26.8 in)
Peso 190,0 g (6.70 oz) 300,0 g (10.58 oz)
Dieta Primarily voles and mice, also lizards, large insects, and small birds. Hunts by hovering at … Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily …
Tamanho da postura 1-7 2
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Rock Pigeon 33,0 cm
Envergadura
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Rock Pigeon 68,0 cm
Peso
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
Rock Pigeon 300,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partilhados

Common Kestrel only

Rock Pigeon only

Nenhum

Common Kestrel

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

Rock Pigeon

Originally cliff-nesting in Mediterranean regions. Now the quintessential urban bird, inhabiting cities worldwide on every continent.

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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.

Rock Pigeon

Canto

Soft, rhythmic cooing 'roo-c'too-coo' repeated multiple times, with emphasis on second syllable. Male courtship coo is deeper and more persistent. Wing-clapping on takeoff is loud.

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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.

Rock Pigeon

Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.

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Estado de conservação

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

Least Concern

Rock Pigeon

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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

Rock Pigeon

Plumagem

Wild-type has a blue-grey body with iridescent green and purple neck feathers, two black wing bars, and a white rump. Feral populations show enormous color variation.

Bico

Slender dark bill with a white fleshy cere at the base

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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.

Rock Pigeon

The rock pigeon is the ancestor of all domestic pigeon breeds and one of the most abundant birds in cities worldwide. Pigeons have served humans as messengers, food, and subjects for scientific research — their homing ability and vision have been studied extensively. Darwin's study of pigeon breeding contributed to his theory of evolution.

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