birds
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One More Time
Five #BrooklynKestrels outside the window can be overwhelming, even though I’ve never seen more than four at a time. The young ones don’t perch as long as the adults, at least not that I’ve seen. They’re much more, uh, flighty. This is one of the two female fledglings. Why yes, that’s right: she’s got a…
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Continuing KWIR
Apres le bain, the sisters nipped at each other’s feathers, clawed each other, and bit each other’s bills.One was rather vocal, but in a much more subdued way than the parents. Now, another school of thought here is that the bird on the left is the adult female, the mother bird. But I don’t think…
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KWIR
Yesterday, all three youngsters went for a dip in a roof-top puddle. Birds bathe to keep their feathers in good order. Where they bathe is a good question. The water shouldn’t be too deep. There should be some seclusion, since a waterlogged bird is more vulnerable than a dry one. Here’s one answer.I’ve always suspected…
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The Kestrel Week in Review
One of the female fledglings perched on The Perch made famous by her parents.Male fledging sitting. Have never seen the adults do this.Kneeling. Perching on one foot.Walking (a hulking hopping to be more exact).Speaking of perching: when thinking about American Kestrel habitat, always be sure to include plenty of places to perch. These are the…
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Manhattan Kestrels
The Wild Bird Fund animal rescue center in Manhattan tweeted out a picture this week of the eight fledgling American Kestrels they have in-house (!). Most were evidently found on the little island itself. I can’t say whether or not any came from the three nests I’m aware of, one which is in Manhattan. Our…
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Train
Ardea alba, the Great Egret.These long breeding plumes, known as aigrettes, were one prized by the fashion industry. (An industry as ugly in the 1890s as it is now.) Great Egrets were slaughtered wantonly for their feathers; since these feathers are breeding plumage, the birds would be shot during breeding season, condemning the next generation…
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The Class of 2018
The nation might be on the cusp of something horrible, but we’ve still got American Kestrels across the street, so full falcon ahead! It looks like there are two females (one is above) and one male in this year’s fledglings from the bodega nest down the corner.All the festooning paraphernalia of Brooklyn’s rooftops…As always, clicking…
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One Guess
The American Kestrel puppies are flying fast and furiously around the city. On Sunday, at least one had fledged successfully from the Park Slope cornice. He’s on the roof right above his natal cavity. There was a male in the ailanthus in the backyard as well. Not sure if it was the same one. Yes,…
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Monday Kestrels, Of Course
Portrait of an American Kestrel.This is the male of the local pair. He’s missing a ragged chunk of feathers from his breast. Molting? Wear and tear? He’s always been a fierce gnawer when he grooms his front; he has frequently looked double-breasted, with cleavage, for want of a better word, right down the middle. This…
Backyard and Beyond 