Steppe kestrel: description and distribution of this rare bird

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Man's economic activity leads to the disappearance of many species of birds. The predators, who were specially exterminated in the 60s, especially got it. Influenced by the decline in their numbers and intensive farming, leading to the extinction of rodents and small animals that are food for them. One of the very rare birds of the Falcon family is the steppe kestrel. Very little is known about her, as she is quite rare. Many confuse it with the common kestrel. Now this beautiful bright bird is under protection and is listed in the Red Book. Measures are being taken to increase its numbers and protect it from extermination.

Different from common kestrel

These birds of the Falcon family are very similar. But smaller and at the same time more beautiful is the steppe kestrel. A photo of a bird in flight and in a stationary position shows how bright it is, especially the male. By what signs can you recognize the steppe kestrel?

• Its color is bright red, without streaks and spots. A bluish-gray head and a black border on the tail. The inner surface of the wings is light, almost white, without spots.
• The steppe kestrel differs from the common kestrel in colorclaws - they are light yellow or white. This bird is also called white-claw.
• The wings are narrower than those of the common kestrel. And the tail is wedge-shaped, with a wide black border.
• In flight, the Steppe Kestrel can hover motionless without fluttering its wings.
• It also differs in behavior: it likes to nest in colonies, and prefers insects in food.

Where does this bird live

The steppe kestrel is widespread in southern Europe, in different parts of Asia and in North Africa. It can be found in Kazakhstan, Altai, the South Urals and Transcaucasia. It is found everywhere in Western and Central Asia from Afghanistan to China, common in the Mediterranean.

Steppe kestrel winters in South Asia and Africa. Its nesting area has greatly decreased over the past decades. This is due, first of all, to human economic activity and a decrease in the number of insects and small rodents, as well as pollution of fields with insecticides and pesticides. This bird loves to settle in the steppe and semi-desert areas, nests in heaps of stones, on gravestones and in niches and cracks in rocks. This is also associated with a decrease in the number of the steppe kestrel - in recent decades, the design of tombstones in cemeteries has changed. But protective measures and the creation of heaps of stones in the habitats of these birds gradually lead to the fact that the steppe kestrel is increasingly common.

Description of the bird's appearance

Sizes

The length of her body does not exceed 35 centimeters, andwingspan - no more than 70 centimeters. These birds weigh from 100 to 200 grams.

Body shape

The tail of the steppe kestrel is wider and wedge-shaped, and the wings are narrow. Compared to other falconiformes, it is not only smaller, but looks slimmer and more graceful.

Coloring

Very beautiful bird - steppe kestrel. Her photo shows how bright she is. The buffy-red, sometimes even pinkish back contrasts with the black border at the ends of the wings and tail. Flight wings are brown, and the head is distinctly bluish. A gray-gray stripe also runs along the wings. In flight, the steppe kestrel is also beautiful: buffy belly, sometimes with bright spots, almost white throat and inner surface of the wings, white claws. This bird is also distinguished by a dark border around the eyes, buffy cheeks and the absence of the "whiskers" characteristic of other falconiformes.

Lifestyle of the Steppe Kestrel

This is a migratory bird that forms large flocks. It also nests in colonies, unlike other falconiformes. It can even settle with other bird species. The kestrel lives in the steppe area, but it needs hills, low rocks, clay cliffs, heaps of stones and earthen ramparts. She also loves the ruins of stone structures or tombstones. The nest arranges itself in niches or cracks in rocks, voids in a heap of stones, and even just in earthen pits. It is not lined with anything, and the clutch of 3 to 7 eggs is incubated by both parents in turn.

Special featureSteppe kestrels feed mainly on insects. She catches them on the fly and can even hang in the air. This bird is very useful for crops, as it destroys a lot of locusts and other pests. She catches them by running on the ground. The kestrel does not disdain small birds, lizards, and even hunts mouse-like rodents. In recent years, work has been carried out to increase the number of these birds. They are provided with favorable nesting and feeding conditions.