Grey Kestrel vs New Zealand Falcon

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

New Zealand Falcon

Falco novaeseelandiae

Large419 gForest

The forms of the New Zealand falcon differ in size, colouration, and habitat. The eastern falcon is larger and paler, while the bush falcon is smaller and darker. The southern falcon sits between the other forms in colouration and size, but has a habitat more similar to the bush falcon. The eastern falcon on average has more white tail bars in their tail feathers than the other two forms. The bush falcon primarily lives in forests while the eastern falcon is present in open steppe habitats. The bush falcons have shorter wings with better manoeuvrability within forests.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: John Barkla · CC BY 4.0

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