Kestrel Age (1 Viewer)

[PaulCountyDurham]

Hi all,

Can anyone age this Kestrel?

The picture was taken yesterday. It's windy and there's no sun, and it's pretty much the picture straight out of the camera with the exception of a bit of contrast added. The point of saying that is that I don't think there's any colour distortion in this picture.

I think the bird is a male who hasn't developed full adult plumage yet, e.g. grey tail. The bird looks like it's developing adult plumage on the mantle and coverts. Also, is that the beginning of a grey tail growing in his upper tail feathers?

Thanks in advance (and of course I could be completely wrong in my cursory assessment).

 

[Butty]

From memory...

• That tail-pattern says young (1st-year?) male.
• I doubt that the mantle+coverts tell you anything.
• Hint of grey on the head might do.

 

[01101001]

I tried ageing Kestrels before, and tconzemi directed me to Blasco Zumeta's website: Species Files – Guia Blasco Zumeta de Aves.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

Thanks Butty.

I read that a male's tail could remain barred for three years and that the grey on the head will begin to develop when the bird reaches 1 years old.

Anyway, I've come with questions rather than answers, but 'thought that was worth adding in the meantime.

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

From memory...

• That tail-pattern says young (1st-year?) male.
• I doubt that the mantle+coverts tell you anything.
• Hint of grey on the head might do.

A 2cy male on account of pattern of newly moulted (adult male type) uppermost mantle feathers which are warmer rufous (difficult to see contrast) with a small black diamond shape subterminal tip. Pale tips to the PC which would indicate age appear to have all but worn off but are just visible on the secondaries. Tail barring is also retained juvenile + grey indicates male. Note adult females can also show grey in tail.

Grahame

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

A 2cy male on account of pattern of newly moulted (adult male type) uppermost mantle feathers which are warmer rufous (difficult to see contrast) with a small black diamond shape subterminal tip. Pale tips to the PC which would indicate age appear to have all but worn off but are just visible on the secondaries. Tail barring is also retained juvenile + grey indicates male. Note adult females can also show grey in tail.

Grahame

Cheers Grahame. I think this means the bird hatched last year and you'd expect to see more of the adult plumage on the birds feathers had it hatched the year before. One for reference (for me).

 

[Butty]

I think this means the bird hatched last year

Yes. 2nd-calendar-year in February means 1st-year.

 

[Biancone]

Very nice photo by the way!

 

[tconzemi]

You can also see one adult male type uppertail covert (all grey with dark shaft) which confirms second calendar year male

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

You can also see one adult male type uppertail covert (all grey with dark shaft) which confirms second calendar year male

Thanks Tom.

I'm not disputing the age of the bird as given, 'bow to superior knowledge and so on, but I would be interested to hear why this bird couldn't be a third calendar year male.

 

[tconzemi]

Thanks Tom.
I would be interested to hear why this bird couldn't be a third calendar year male.

As a third calendar year Kestrel it may show some young adult features in the flight feathers and the tail (moulted once and not full adult), but all body plumage would be adult type and not a mixture of juvenile and adult type mantle and uppertail feathers

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

As a third calendar year Kestrel it may show some young adult features in the flight feathers and the tail (moulted once and not full adult), but all body plumage would be adult type and not a mixture of juvenile and adult type mantle and uppertail feathers

Cheers Tom. That's exactly the information I was looking for. After I posted that question I had a look 'round the internet and found this:

After Kestrels fledge their plumage is described as "female" like. They have their first moult in the autumn when some body feathers on the back are replaced. By the following calendar year (cy) spring most birds have partial or complete moult of their back, breast and rump feathers. However, some juvenile plumage is retained until the 2nd cy moult which starts in May and is completed in the autumn.

Which sounds very similar. The only thing to do is now is to photograph more Kestrels and compare them!