Common Kestrel vs Common Nightingale

Falco tinnunculus в сравнении с Luscinia megarhynchos

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Характеристика Common Kestrel Common Nightingale
Научное название Falco tinnunculus Luscinia megarhynchos
Отряд Falconiformes Passeriformes
Семейство Falconidae Muscicapidae
Охранный статус Least Concern Least Concern
Длина 34,0 cm (13.4 in) 16,5 cm (6.5 in)
Размах крыльев 74,0 cm (29.1 in) 25,0 cm (9.8 in)
Масса 190,0 g (6.70 oz) 21,0 g (0.74 oz)
Питание Primarily voles and mice, also lizards, large insects, and small birds. Hunts by hovering at … Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in …
Размер кладки 1-7 4-5
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Common Nightingale 16,5 cm
Размах крыльев
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Common Nightingale 25,0 cm
Масса
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
Common Nightingale 21,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Общие среды обитания

Common Kestrel only

Common Nightingale only

Common Kestrel

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

Common Nightingale

Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.

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Song & Call Comparison

Common Kestrel

Пение

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 Nightingale

Пение

Considered Europe's finest songster: an extraordinarily rich, loud, flute-like melody of bubbling trills, slow whistles, and a distinctive crescendo 'lu-lu-lu'. Sings day and night.

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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 Nightingale

Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.

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Охранный статус

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

Least Concern

Common Nightingale

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How to Tell Them Apart

Common Kestrel

Оперение

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.

Клюв

Short, hooked grey bill with a yellow cere

Common Nightingale

Оперение

Plain warm brown upperparts with a rufous-chestnut tail. Pale greyish-white underparts. Unremarkable appearance belies its remarkable voice.

Клюв

Thin, pointed, dark brown bill

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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.

Common Nightingale

The common nightingale is celebrated as one of the finest songsters in the bird world, inspiring poets from Homer to Keats. Males sing complex phrases of over 250 different types, often at night during breeding season. Despite its famous song, the nightingale is a plain-looking bird that skulks in dense vegetation.

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