Kestrel flight

[balsphinktahr]

Did you frickin' film this?!?! I'm doing a school project, and I would love it if you could let me use this video in it. thanx baih....

[betacygni]

@balsphinktahr Yes I filmed it - you're welcome to use the video in your project providing you say where you got it.

[ralutjohn]

See these all the time around morley (leeds)

One time a Kestrel dived into the next door garden and flew off with something in its mouth, and that was a very big Kestrel, had to be a female, the sight of it slowly lifting off with huge wings about 20ft away was amazing.

[ignatzly]

That performance is about a billion time better than a poem

[TheP0K3M0NL0V3R]

Can falcons live in cities?  In Los Angeles, I saw a huge bird way up in the sky that looks like a Bird of Prey.

[betacygni]

@TheP0K3M0NL0V3R Yes they can and do. In the UK peregrines and kestrels quite commonly nest on high buildings, and I'm pretty sure something similar happens the world over.

[RamonaFromPomona]

Cool.

[NedBurchfiel]

That's so awesome how the head stays right in place! What a majestic bird. This is my favorite animal.

[Rickieb15]

0:28

[catlillith]

Amazing!

[para200292]

I agree with the comment that a creator is needed. I would like to add that His name is Jehovah. He is also our Creator. Although bad things happen, they can be well-explained.

[ib422000]

As if proof is needed for a supreme creator of these wonders! Sorry, I'm just overwhelmed by the wonder of it all, but not a religious person.

[SophistAtheist]

It's called nature, it's called evolution. There is no creator, you fool.

I wonder if you will be amazed at the wonders of cancer, viruses, plagues.

Design with failures.. SOO INTELLIGENT

[nothing2offer]

you know it all cuz.... you know it all

[Mustela13]

Beautiful

[Heliux15]

this video was good

why cant i see the video d1

[Whaffel]

used some sort of "facetracking" effect in aftereffects to keep it centered or?

[betacygni]

No software used - all done with the filming equipment.

[caitlmac1]

Tripod sure do come in handy dont they? I love love love this footage, espescially the stoop. I have yet to see a kestrel in a stoop.

[searella59]

Amazing footage, thanks.

[robenhart]

I caught this morning morning's minion, kingdom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon

[henk0909]

i love kestrels men

[surfing636]

That steady Head, with all those subtle body adjustments, one of the coolest sights to witness. The free fall to catch prey from hovering position is just as impressive. Anyone know if all Kestrels hover, or just the American Kestrel Falcon?

[betacygni]

Other kestrels hover, and so do other species! - see my video response above (watch?v=wo83yu6Cu7w which includes the kestrel hover in higher quality) for a few examples.

[doctorhux]

thats amazing, its head is so steady!

[intigfx]

the head trick is friggin' awesome. they literally invented the Steadycam millions of years before humans.

[ogalala]

@intigfx

It's comparable to looking through binoculars, if you can't hold them steady you're not going to see very good. I love this Falcon and have many of them around my ranch.

[Kamami7]

WOAH...how the f****'n hell do they DO that?!? awesome footage

[theSTAR70]

awesomw!

[falcoperegrinus82]

It's amazing watching all those preceise adjustments it makes to keep its head steady. This hunting method is called "kiting".

[MyWildlifeVideos]

What a beautiful little film! The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North American. The female is about 1/3 larger than the male, and she defends both her mate and her nest. The European kestrel has slightly different coloring. It can see ultra-violet light, which helps it find one of its favorite prey, the vole (a small rodent). The vole marks its territory with its urine, which glows in UV light. The kestrel sees these brightly lit tracks and zooms in!

[betacygni]

Thanks for all the extra info, MyWildlifeVideos. We have plenty of voles here, but I didn't know about their luminous urine!

[Kamami7]

wow!

[caitlmac1]

Can all kestrels see UV light? That is very interesting. Can you imagine how people first discovered that?

[Headaherman]

Beautiful birds and beautiful and amazing photography!!!

[madmurd]

Fantastic photography

[RaydedWings]

Awesome shots...It's as if their head is being held in place by some invisible brace, it's amazing.

[WalneyCol]

Brilliant footage... my kestrel came a lot closer, but the footage is nowhere near as good as yours!

[mondaypartlysunny]

Thanks for sharing this. I've been trying to confirm the existence of these little guys near my house. This seals the deal. Wow. Great creatures. Great video!!

[HawthornDawnAndPaul]

Wow, an amazing video - must've taken a lot of perseverence and patience. Thanks for sharing.

[betacygni]

Thank you Dawn/Paul. You try to find the best filming spots, but they live to their own schedule - not yours - so patience is needed

[betacygni]

Thanks Robm

[jimmyjumbo2006]

Excellent! Thanks.

[betacygni]

Thanks jimmyj, you must get a few of these over the glens

[jimmyjumbo2006]

Yeah, but I've never been able to get a decent photo of one, let alone an amazing video such as yours.

Keep up the good work,

all the best,

jimmy :-)