Hello everyone! Yesterday I saw two Falco sp. flying together over a pine forest in the northeastern mountains of Madrid (Spain). I saw them briefly late in the evening, when it was already getting dark. I include here (original size and cropped) the only two pictures I managed to take before they flew away. Thanks in advance!
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Falco sp. (Madrid, Spain) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SLopezM
- Start date
Other birders have also mentioned the nightjar option, but we believe this is due to the fact that the tail is in an odd (half-open) position in the photo. With our field observations we are almost sure that they were falcons. Some other people agree with us and are mainly divided between the following options: Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae; the species we were looking for) and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).
Rotherbirder
Well-known member
Certainly not Peregrine.
RB
RB
Farnboro John
Well-known member
What I'm seeing here is a Kestrel. Second crop appears to show light grey on top of the tail (it must be the top, there's obviously not enough light to light the undertail as the remainder of the underside is dark). I couldn't rule out Lesser, and in that regard I note the projecting central tail feathers in the first pic and its crop.
John
John
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
If that was here here I'd have Eleonora's in the mix with that long, narrow based tail and we often see them here when it's almost dark.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Not always that obvious in my experience, look how different these look in structure..
Eleonora´s Falcon (Falco eleonorae)
Photo - image of Eleonora´s Falcon (Falco eleonorae). Free use by schools, etc., paid use 30 - 60 EUR / photo. Mallorca, Spain. Id 108938
www.biopix.com
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Still getting a shorter, broader tailed bird with noticeably longer wings in every photo of Eleonora's. The proportions of the OP's bird are very different and an Eleonora's couldn't show that contrasting light grey tail either.
John
John
Rotherbirder
Well-known member
The silhouette is 'nibbled away' by digital artifacts so its true shape is difficult to assess.
RB
RB
It is quite possible it is Eleonora's at this time of the year. Sometimes their typical slim and long winged silhouette can be a little bit modified when turning. I have been watching some of them this afternoon with your photos in mind, looking for the wing shape shown in your photos, and cannot discard it. But as said before, photo quality makes being sure more difficult, specially regarding the head. I wouldn't claim it only on these images
lou salomon
the birdonist
it my be a trick of the pic but that snouty head in the first pic really reminds of a nightjar. surely not Eleonora's, not Hobby, not Peregrine (among the already mentioned species). not sure if a Kestrel can be excluded here, though. That bizarr tail shape might be overemphasized by light eating into the silhouette.