Male American Kestrel shows off its dark facial stripes. Photo by Jeff Osborne
What to watch for in February: Small Falcons and the Great Backyard Bird Count
By Jane Tillman for KXAN
February is a good month to look for small falcons, ranging in size from 9 to 10 inches. They are a little smaller than a Blue Jay. In Austin the two expected species are the American Kestrel and Merlin. Falcons are diurnal birds of prey with long wings, bent back at the wrist, that are narrow and pointed.
Rare Prairie Merlin shows typical falcon features: long, narrow, pointed wings, bent at the wrist. Photo by Jeff Osborne
American Kestrels are fairly easy to see as they often perch on utility wires, fence posts, tops of transmission towers, or on higher dead perches in trees that have close access to open fields. They are petite and richly colored. The male has beautiful slaty-blue wings and is rufous on its back and long tail, sporting a black tail tip. The female has a rufous back, wings and tail which all have dark horizontal barring. Both sexes have two black stripes on their faces. Kestrels are known for kiting, where they point into the wind and hover before they drop down on prey. While perched they often bob their tails. Kestrels eat a variety of live prey items including small birds and rodents, lizards, and insects like grasshoppers. In turn they are eaten by larger birds of prey and snakes.
Male American Kestrel. Photo by James Giroux
Kestrels are year round in most of the continental U.S. (except southern Texas where many winter), and occupy habitat in lower latitudes of Canada up into Alaska in the summer. They are cavity nesters. On their breeding grounds the male looks for a suitable nest site but the female has to give her stamp of approval.
Male American kestrel shows offs its dark facial stripes. Photo by Jeff Osborne
Fun fact: Just like a mother is sometimes said to have eyes in the back of her head, a kestrel has two false eyes (black spots called ocelli) on the back of its head which may trick predators into thinking the kestrel is alert to their presence.
Female American Kestrel. Photo by Jeff Osborne
Merlins, slightly larger than kestrels, are only here for the winter, leaving in the spring primarily for Canada, where they range up into Alaska and the high Arctic. Depending on where Merlins were born, they differ in color. In Austin we typically see the Taiga form, which breeds in boreal Canada and Alaska. Female and juvenile Merlins have dark brown backs and wings, with blocky heads, one indistinct mustache stripe, and banded dark tails with thin white stripes. Adult males have slate-blue upperparts and have a cinnamon wash across their breasts, bellies and leg feathers.
Merlins are fast flyers with directed powerful flight compared to the buoyant, somewhat wandering flight of the kestrel. Merlins have a reputation for pugnaciousness; they are sometimes seen harassing larger birds of prey violating “their” airspace. While kestrels often fly down from a perch to catch prey, the Merlin catches prey in flight. Merlins are only an inch longer than kestrels, but they are 50% heavier which adds to their more compact look. Although they sometimes perch in the open, Merlins also perch on interior branches where they can use the element of surprise to nab their prey.
Male Merlin. Photo by Jeff Osborne
There are many places in Austin to spot American Kestrels, including Commons Ford Ranch, Roy Guerrero, Emma Long Metro Parks, and Hornsby Bend. Merlins are a little trickier to find, but check Bob Wentz Windy Point Park, and Roy Guerrero.
American Kestrel with Dragonfly. Photo by Jeff Osborne
Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count – Use Merlin!
Birds can be found almost anywhere, and during the February Great Backyard Bird Count, you can be part of the global effort to identify, count and report them. What if you are a beginning bird watcher? Download the Merlin app and get started. All it takes is a minimum of 15 minutes on one day of the four day count, February 16-19. Reporting can be done directly through the app.
The Merlin app has three ways to help you begin to identify birds. One way is to answer three questions about the bird. Another is to use a photo, and the third is to record the bird.
Using a photo to ID a bird assumes a pretty good, in focus, unobstructed view of the bird. Sometimes that is easier said than done! Look at Merlin photos and a field guide to verify a photo ID.
The last way, which has really caught on, is to record the sounds the bird is making. Ideally you are close to the bird so the recording is audible to your microphone. Distant birds, windy conditions, walking and talking can all limit success. Many birds have chip notes or parts of song that are similar to other species. The app will show a spectrogram in real time, sort of the bird’s signature, and suggest an ID. For recordings, visit the “My sound recordings” part of the app, and listen to your recording again. Compare it to the ones that Merlin has. Make an effort to see the bird to verify its ID.
Merlin might seem magical but is based on science. It suggests birds based on information in eBird, a huge database of bird sightings around the world that is tailored for your location and date of the bird sighting. Unfortunately it is not always correct. You’ve heard the saying, “Trust, but verify.” Make sure GPS is enabled in the app. Be sure you have the right Bird Pack downloaded for your region. If not, some really wacky suggestions can occur. Look at the range map to make sure the species suggested even occurs in your area. Enjoy your new connection with nature!
