Unusual (?) parasitic behaviour Kestrel v Barn Owl (1 Viewer)

We were watching a couple of SEOs and a Hen Harrier just before dusk at Parkgate this evening, a sub ad male Kestrel came in off the marsh and took up a sentinel position on a tall tree just behind us.

Shortly afterwards a Barn Owl appeared and started quartering along series of small channels a little way out into the marsh. After about 5 mins it dropped and stayed down for a few seconds. Just as I was thinking "Its got something" the Kestrel dropped from the tree and approached the owl very quickly (and noisily) giving a typical kee-kee-kee call. There was an aerial scuffle, with the Kestrel making repeated mini stoops at the Owl. The Owl clung onto its vole, though at one point the Kestrel got a foot onto it. Then three Crows joined in, the Kestrel returned to its tree and the Owl crashed into the marsh. It wasn't clear if it managed to eat its prey or not. A few minutes later the Owl emerged and started hunting again. Once again it quickly caught a vole and immediately the Kestrel dropped off the tree and pursued the Owl. The Owl dropped to the ground and "hooded" the prey with its wings. It appeared to manage to eat the vole, though the kestrel was flying round its head while it did.

A quick internet search suggests that this isn't that unusual, but it was new behaviour for me.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo_expl...hoto_id=70618912&order=date_desc&user=6858191

http://letterfromnorfolk.wordpress.com/tag/kestrel-robbing-barn-owl/

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Kestrel robbing owl&f=false

etc

Nice observations and very good description, Jane. Easy to imagine the scene. You are lucky to have seen it.

Hi Jane,

I recall seeing a similar turn of events whilst watching a Barn Owl hunting in Suffolk a few years ago. The Kestrel appeared almost as soon as the owl did, as if it was waiting for it. It did not take the owl long to catch something - at which point the Kestrel noisily chased it around until the owl dropped to the ground. I don't recall what happened next, but thought this was interesting behaviour at the time - especially as it was my first ever Barn Owl sighting!

Neal

I think it is quite common for birds to steal, like this. Last year, I saw a large pack of gulls bothering a...thing...in False Creek. (I say a "thing" because I didn't get a good look at it. I thought it might be a seal or an otter. It was definitely a furry type of thing, not a fish or a bird.) The thing had got a fish, and the gulls were divebombing it repeatedly, trying to snatch its dinner. I think they were eventually successful, as they rose up en masse, and kept circling, probably waiting for the thing to catch something else.

Very common between Kestrels and Barn Owls - it's called kleptoparasitism.

I watched a kestrel pirating prey (a vole) from a short-eared owl a few years back.

It was surprising at the time.

The kestrel sat on a fence-post while the owl hunted. Once the owl had a kill the kestrel went into action and took the vole from the owl.

cheers Jane, a new one on me too