Greater Kestrel vs Grey Kestrel

Greater Kestrel

Falco rupicoloides

Medium261 gGrassland

The plumage of the adult is mainly pale rufous, both above and below. The back, upperwing and flanks are barred with black. The breast has dark streaks and the head is streaked but has no malar stripe unlike the common and lesser kestrels. The rump and tail are grey with black bars; the tail has a white tip. In flight, the whitish underwing contrasts with the darker body. The iris of the eye is whitish, distinguishing the bird from any similar species. The bill is mainly blue-grey and the feet and cere are yellow.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anja J. · CC BY 4.0

Grey Kestrel

Falco ardosiaceus

Medium234 gWoodland

It is a fairly small, stocky kestrel with a large, flat-topped head and fairly short wings that don't reach past the tip of the tail when at rest. It is 28–33 cm long with a wingspan of 58–72 cm and a weight of up to 300 grams. The female is 4-11% larger and 5-11% heavier than the male. The plumage of the adult is uniformly dark grey apart from darker wingtips, faint dark streaking on the body and slightly barred flight feathers. The feet and cere are yellow and there is bare yellow skin around the eye.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Neil Strickland · CC0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Greater Kestrel and Grey Kestrel.