Bird Guide

Aplomado Falcon vs Lesser Kestrel

Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis)

Aplomado Falcon

Falco femoralis

Large336 gGrassland

The aplomado falcon is very slender, long-winged, and long-tailed, the size of a small peregrine falcon (F. peregrinus), at 30–40 cm (12–16 in) long and with an average wingspan of about 90 cm (35 in), but only half the weight, at about 208–305 g (7.3–10.8 oz) in males and 270–460 g (9.5–16.2 oz) in females. In adult birds, the upperparts are dark blue-grey, as is much of the head, with the usual falcon "moustache" contrasting sharply with the white throat and eyestripe.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Hugo Hulsberg · CC0
Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)

Lesser Kestrel

Falco naumanni

Medium152 gGrassland

It is a small bird of prey, 27–33 cm (11–13 in) in length with a 63–72 cm (25–28 in) wingspan. It looks very much like the larger common kestrel but has proportionally shorter wings and tail. It shares a brown back and barred grey underparts with the larger species. The male has a grey head and tail like male common kestrels, but lacks the dark spotting on the back, the black malar stripe, and has grey patches in the wings. The female and young birds are slightly paler than their relative, but are so similar that call and structure are better guides than plumage.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: fabca121 · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Aplomado Falcon and Lesser Kestrel.