Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Raptor Wednesday

Spotted belly and thick black band on the outer edge of the tail.
Blue wings, strong black band again. Male American Kestrels.
Streaky belly, only a thin black band on the edge of the tail: female American Kestrels. The topside of her wings are also reddish, but we can’t see this from below.

mthew

2 responses to “Raptor Wednesday”

  1. Chuck McAlexander

    Good ID tips. You don’t always get to see the top of the bird. This is the species that started my birding addiction. It will always be on the top of my favorite bird list. They are beautiful powerful, graceful, fast and extremely adaptable to changing conditions. I expect we will be seeing them for the long haul.

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Sure hope so.

      Reply

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