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2008 - Birds Records for Chiang Saen Area & Northern Thailand.

Mick Davies & Dowroong Danlamajak.

Lesser Kestrel

A new and exciting bird in Thailand.

Three pics of lesser Kestrel, middle is our bird.

Note - comparison of the immature bird (lower left) and Our bird.

The only difference I can see that the bird left is in a hunched posture, the head patterns the same and the wings fall equal to the tail - Conclusion - Lesser Kestrel.

Pic 1 lower bird exhibits a more pronounced moustaches and a grey head, given that this bird is an immature. It also shows that the wings are = to the tail.

Pic 3 is not too similar to our bird, as it is older, and has a grey upper tail. however it's surf ices to illustrate similarities in the under wing. and spotting / streaking on the underparts

Those who are un-familiar with lesser Kestrel, they are quite variable, and often difficult to age and sex. However our bird, would appear to be an immature male, exact age unknown.

I draw your attention to a trio of excellent web sites I have found on this subject. I have extracted the parts are consider most revenant.

Title Notes on the moult and plumages of Lesser Kestrel
Author Andrea Corso
Language English
Magazine British Birds, vol. 94, no. 9, 2001
Page 409 - 418
Contents

Headlines:
Methods * Moult * Plumage and bare parts * Variability in facial pattern * Tail pattern * Tail shape * Wing formula and wing shape * Pattern of upperwing- and underwing-coverts * Underpart pattern * Claws * Discussion * Acknowledgments * References

Abstract:
During a study of Lesser Kestrels [Falco naumanni] at Matera, in Basilicata, southern Italy, in May-June 2000, special attention was paid to the state of moult of individuals, and details of plumage were recorded. On average, second-calendar-year females showed five or six newly moulted primaries, and second-calendar males three; adult females usually exhibited three new primaries, while adult males typically showed none (rarely, one to three). A degree of plumage variability was observed, mostly in facial pattern (all ages) and tail pattern (second-calendar-year males), but also in the tinderwing-covert and underpart patterns. The dark moustache varied in thickness, length and contrast, and the cheek patch was also somewhat variable. The tail varied in number/shape of bars and in the colour of the central feathers and other rectrices.The underwing-covcrts of males varied from uniformly pale and unmarked to diffusely dark-spotted, as did the underparts, while females exhibited some variation in the length and thickness of the dark streaking below. Claw colour was typically pale, rarely darkish.

Excellent Pic's

Biometric data

Bird age distribution: Unknown (42), Immature (2), Adult (72), 0-6 months (1)

Bird sex distribution: Unknown (43), Male (60), Female (14)

Final Note: having studied many photo's of Kestrel & Lesser. The real clincher is this;

Kestrel; in every pic viewed, the wing falls short of the tail tip by 25-35%.

Lesser Kestrel; The wing length is equal or slightly shorter than the tail tip. (in our bird it's equal)

I haven't included pics of Kestrel illustrating wing / tail as they are commonly found on the internet. (I was also surprised to see many miss labeled bird pics, the two Kestrels sitting in a bush are Red-foots).

Page 1 (original page and initial sightings).

Lesser Kestrel; Part 1, see above for part 2.

9th Jan 2008.

This evening a Manic Kestrel put on a display of agility never before seen. At about 5.50pm a small fast flying falcon flew past me and east along the Mekong, I had to take my eye away to grab my bins as I shouted to Dowroong to get a look. It took me some minutes to relocate but I could see Dowroong was following it and after a while it came close overhead. I could see it was a female kestrel, and as it was small I tried too get some relevant detail. I have seen Lesser Kestrels in several countries and I suppose several hundred, and of course 1000's of kestrels, which is a fairly common bird at Chiang Saen.

This was an obvious a female with rufous brown uppers and distinctly black primaries. I won't bother describing the rest of the plumage as with dusk approaching little point. However all points relating to kestrel species were obvious.

Structure was I feel quite different from common as the wings were shorter and the bird was incredibly agile. It took a swallow in flight and landed close by on a sand bar, I recon it took two minutes to eat it and was once again in the air. within a minute it took another swallow, turning and twisting in a fraction to grab in it's talons. Once again landed on the sand bar and devoured the prey, in a similar time span. In the air again and in quick pursuit of yet another swallow, with darkness approaching it was lost a it flew to the west.

When standing on the sand Bar, the under parts appeared paler than I would expect for common kestrel and contrasted paler in relation to the wings. The wing length was estimated as equal to the tail.

In flight the bird was longer in the tail than either merlin of peregrine, however the wings appeared shorter than common kestrel. This was due in the main, that the birds flight was very fast on a horizontal plane, and so the wings were angled to allow the bird to cut through the air at high speed. It seemed able to keep this up initially for 5 minutes or more. The wing beats were constant and with no discernable pause.

I spoke to Phil Round and he told me that Lesser Kestrel formally breed in Laos. On what we observed tonight I think this may well have been that species. However it will difficult to get exact plumage.

I have never seen in forty years a display of skill like this from a Kestrel. I have spent most of my career studying visible migration and movements. I have witnessed Amur Falcons taking swallows, but they are very casual. This bird also lacked to typical bounding flight of Merlin. When on the ground only a slight moustachial stripe was visible.

And so it is just a possible for now. MD DD.

11th Manic Kestrel ?; again in action this evening; Hunting behavior; This bird has amazing stamina, once it has a swallow lined up it will fly on a straight line for 30-40 seconds, if it fails to get close enough it aborts, and reverts to a glide of about 5 seconds, (glides on flat wings with hands lowered in a slight bow) picks another and is off in pursuit.

I seems unable to catch prey until the sunlight falls, and so it endeavored to attack and fail for about 8 minutes. The birds is a an altitude of +or- 10 meters.

As the light fails it becomes more determined and will stoop on prey and miss, it's persistence is amazing. I estimated 35-45 failed attacks in the 8 minute period. However as the light is failing and the number of swallow increase it success is assured. prior to making a kill it is dynamic and recalls a long tailed Merlin and is just as agile, twisting, turning, diving and swooping upwards.

This manic bird is never satisfied, having snatched a swallow it drops in a fast glide to the sand bar. Well believe or not in 30 seconds it was in the air again and in pursuit. Tonight the 12th it was on the ground for one minute with prey,It must be looking around as it's eating as it took off an immediately caught another in seconds. This one it dealt with in the air and ripped the head off and flew west. I could see that it was eating on the wing and watched as it disappeared in the distance 1km, I could see that as it was feeding it would loose height and have to flap to regain.

Photo - Taweewat Supindham - Lesser kestrel - Mekong Chiang Saen - 9-12th Jan 2008.

The photographer did well to get this pic so bright, It appears to be in bright sunshine, however; it was taken in poor light and after 6pm, I looked through Bens scope at the same time, and the image was dark and defused due to the failing light and immposible to get any precise detail. I had hoped to get a view of the claws but all to distant. The pic's is very useful as it dose hightlight the color of the underparts. The wings can be seen as long in comparrison with the tail. Dowroong has just said that the bird appeared at 6.20pm. One point that may cause confusion in the pic is the head color, which appears to be pale grey. This is efect of the picture. I have seen this bird in very good light and I had not noted a grey head.

Identification Points; Apart from the similar plumage characteristics of Lesser Kestrel and Kestrel. At no time have I considered this bird to be a Kestrel.

Pics 1 2 and 4 are Lesser Kestrel, 3 is a kestrel for comparison. These pics have been borrowed to show relevant plumage and structural features

So; Lesser Kestrel as sure as one can be.

Structure: Wings are different to Kestrel. The Arm is shorter and more narrow in lesser. This explains why the wing tips are equal in length to the tail tip, when perched.

Shape is very cigar like, head to tail. Kestrel looks longer winged and more strong in the chest. The species differ in they're hunting methods, Kestrel's hover and drop onto prey, or they stoop from variable height. I have seen Kestrels in England chase birds in the air at high altitude, it's rare and I have never seen them catch anything.

Lesser is move like Amur in that they soar around picking of dragonflies. Our bird may exhibit actions previously un described, (I don't have access to any text books like BWP) However as Amur Falcon regular takes swallows on the wing here, I'm sure Lesser Kestrel can do the same, as they are both arial crusers.

Few insects are about in the north of Thailand at this time of year and so this bird is taking advantage of the abundance of swallows. I also wonder if it has worked it out that there is no point in flying early as the success rate is zero, the bird seems now to appear closer to dusk, when it almost catches at the first attempt.

Plumage: A number of points more than suggest Lesser Kestrel. As is seen from (Taweewat Supindham-photo) The head pattern is identical to pics 1 and 2, the color of the underparts is orangey and suggest a mixture of spotting on the breast and streaking on the central area (as shown in pic 3). The upper wing coverts are inclining to reddish. These features strongly suggest that the bird is an immature male, and is in the last moult before adult.

Dowroong noted the tail wedge, as shown in pic 4. The under wing is mirror like on the central hand, the remainder of the under wing is darker.

26th: Was seen again this evening, after a break of 2 weeks, and only showed for two minutes. It flew directly towards us and caught a small item, as it did so it half opened the tail, the thick black tail band and longer black central tail feathers, forming a wedge, could be clearly seen. The bird flew to ground, partly consumed it's prey and flew off.

28th; The Lesser Kestrel put in avery late appearance this evening from 6.20-6,25. During this time it made 2 kills. A point on structure of note is the tail tip is normally expanded as shown above in pic 4. The structure of this bird is quite unlike that of Common Kestrel and the under wing hand is obviously white (even in poor light). The bids posture when on the sand is that in shape it is very slim and long. In flight it is at all time a small falcon, and never recalls common kestrel.

Lesser Kestrel dates: 9th- 28th January; However a small unidentified falcon was present throughout December at the same location. This bird was seen 3 times in the middle of the day (identified on the 3rd occasion as a Kestrel Sp;). However we could not locate it's favorite perch or haunts and was never seen hunting in the manner of a kestrel. I would have expected to locate a resident Kestrel easily, we have a number of regular sites and they are mostly on view.

30th; west of CS; A common Kestrel was studied for a while. The primary tips fell 3 bands short of the tail tip. The hand and arm are noticeably broader in Kestrel and the arm is more equal in length to the hand. The wing beats are more stiff and in fast flight the angle of the wings suggest a long winged falcon, rather than lesser which resembles a long winged Merlin.

The first few days of February were dominated by two periods of heavy rain. Following the first rain a hatch of May fly's? occurred and this caused the pratincole to change their feeding habits and the Swallows also. Thus the Lesser kestrel's hunting area was devoid of birds and has not re-appeared.

Kestrel: A Common Kestrel was present on the 2nd of February at the same location. However this bird was quickly identified as a Kestrel. Structurally different and flight actions slower and as is typical, with Kestrels, when hunting they cruise around on a glide and pause to hover.

article unfinished Mick Davies & Dowroong Danlamajak.

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