Vetruška
- The common kestrel cannot sit on a flat and low surface, but can perch on a low object to rest.
- The age of the oldest wild common kestrels, determined by ringing, reaches 16 years.
- Among predators, the feeling of hunger is stronger than fear of humans, even when they are in the presence of humans.
- The common kestrel is a highly adaptable species found in a wide range of habitats. It occurs on plains but avoids dense forests and completely treeless steppes.
- The common kestrel sees ultraviolet light, and thus can see the glowing urine marks of rodents, which shine brightly in ultraviolet light and are brighter the fresher they are.
- The common kestrel initially refuses not only a piece of meat or chicken, but even a dead animal or bird. For it, "meat" is only what is feathered and moving.
- The common kestrel has high intelligence, easily adapts to humans, and flies to them for food.
- The sharpness of vision of the common kestrel is 2.6 times higher than that of a human. This allows it to see small objects, such as a mouse or an insect, from a great distance.
- There is no doubt that feeding the predator whole laboratory animals is better. This provides a balanced diet and reduces the risk of infections.
Старост
Eurasian kestrels experience several developmental stages, beginning with an embryonic stage where the embryo develops inside an egg. The young, called fledglings, remain in the nest and are fed by their parents for a period lasting from four weeks to one month and one week. The species reaches sexual maturity at an age ranging from nine months and one week to one year and three months. An adult bird is capable of reproduction and can remain in this stage for a duration of one to twenty years. The typical lifespan of the species is from ten to fifteen years, although the maximum recorded lifespan is twenty-three years and ten months; the theoretical lifespan ranges from three years and six months to twenty-four years and one month.
Фенотип
The Eurasian kestrel has light down covering its body when young. Adult individuals have a reddish-brown back with black spots, a short curved beak with a yellow cere, and a gray tail with a black band at the tip. The species possesses strong legs with sharp claws for catching prey. Adult common kestrels also have long, pointed wings that allow them to hover in the air.
Физиологија
The Eurasian kestrel’s body height ranges from 12 centimeters to 3.6 meters, with body length varying from 30 to 37 centimeters; its wingspan measures 73 centimeters. The species' mass ranges from 136 to 187 grams. During the embryo stage, the young have a body mass of 16 to 22 grams and a body length of 3.8 to 4.5 centimeters. In the nestling stage, the young weigh from 20 to 170 grams and measure 10 to 28 centimeters in length. Adult kestrels have a body mass ranging from 140 to 200 grams and a body length of 30 to 34 centimeters.
Станиште
Eurasian kestrels inhabit diverse landscapes including dry land, highlands and tundra, ground forests, ground meadows and steppes. The species occupies mixed temperate forests with warm summers and many oak, birch, and maple trees, flooded meadows with abundant grass where the ground is often inundated, and taiga characterized by cold winters and numerous coniferous trees such as spruce and pine. The climate varies considerably, encompassing very hot summers exceeding 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, consistently wet conditions with frequent rain and high humidity, steppes with plentiful grass and infrequent rainfall, warm or hot summers, and warm summers accompanied by abundant rainfall. Eurasian kestrels are found at altitudes up to 2 kilometers.
Склониште
Eurasian kestrels inhabit rocky areas, tree cavities, buildings, or abandoned nests of other birds; the species builds or uses a nest structure for laying eggs and raising young. The nest is constructed from twigs, grass, and feathers.
Географија
Eurasian kestrels inhabit the biogeographical realms of Afrotropics, Indomalaya, and Palearctics. The species is found in Celtic broadleaf forests, broadleaf forests of Western Europe, coniferous forests of the Qilian Mountains, Balkan mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, and coniferous and mixed forests of the Pyrenees.
Храна
The Eurasian kestrel feeds on small animals, employing a hunting strategy of active pursuit and ambush; it hovers into the wind, spots prey, and sharply dives upon it to capture food. The species’ diet includes voles, mice, shrews, lizards, large insects, small birds, adult insects, and small mammals, such as voles. Eurasian kestrels also hunt European crested tits, shrews, and rats. The method of obtaining food involves hovering in the air and diving. Daily food requirements range from 40 grams to 70 grams.
Размножавање
The Eurasian kestrel’s embryo development lasts one month; the female lays eggs in a shelter, and the clutch size is from three to six young. Both parents guard the nest and feed the chicks. The young form pairs in spring, and the species reproduces every year. Maturity occurs from one year to one year and one month. A brood consists of from three to six individuals.