Yesterday Ms Woko & I were yarning under our verandah when there was a sudden cacophony from, mainly, New Holland honeyeaters followed by a vertical flash of white & a loud thud. On inspection, I found the body of an Australian kestrel which seemed to have failed to pull out of a dive & killed itself. However, upon reflection, I wondered if it was the victim of a strike by a brown goshawk which has been cruising near our house over the last few days. Any thoughts anyone?
Surely the goshawk must be the only explanation? Unless another avian creature had disrupted the kestrel, what else might of happened? Most birds of prey are fairly agile and calculated when they fly, so I doubt it would of simply crashed without any reason.
My thoughts too, Nathan. We get the occasional Peregrine Falcon so it's possible that might have been the source of any strike. It was rather a shock to think, at first, that the Kestrel crashed of its own accord. Highly unlikely, I would have thought.
We had a Brown Goshawk fatality four doors down, only a couple of months ago. Our neighbours were being entertained watching a beautiful BG chasing a Starling, and the Starling flew straight into their kitchen window followed immediately by the poor BG who was just about to latch onto dinner. Both killed on impact. Judging by the size of the BG, perhaps only barely an adult, so perhaps lack of experience? I don't know, first time I've ever heard of it happening myself too.
West Coast Tasmania
I guess if humans can walk into things by accident, birds can fly into things as well?
Further reflection: How come the alarm calls of other birds occurred about only 1 second before the Australian kestrel hit the ground? If there had been a brown goshawk & kestrel in the vicinity I would have expected at least a couple of seconds of alarm calls before the kestrel fatality.
We do have a few young rabbits at our place but I've never heard of kestrels hunting rabbits so the vertical dive is unlikely to be related to rabbit hunting.
I'm still on the side of a brown goshawk or Peregrine falcon strike but I'm looking for evidence to substantiate or reject this notion.
I have been watching my local Kestrels for 10 months almost every day, so just my opinion from these observations.
Kestrels will fly quite high at times.
I very much doubt that a kestrel would attempt taking even a small rabbit, it would be to big and heavy for it.
I have never seen a Kestrel dive for food, they always drop with wings spread.
But just because i haven't seen it doesn't mean they don't do it.
If a larger Raptor did hit the Kestrel and lost it i would have thought it would have come down to the ground to collect it's spoils.
As to why it dropped out of the sky? I have no idea
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
That's a good point, Shorty. Ms Woko & I waited about 2 minutes before going to the impact point in case there was follow up by a larger raptor. There wasn't. However the brown goshawk which was in the vicinity may have been wary of us & not appreciated that we love all creatures great & small,especially if they're native.
Another thought, maybe the Kestrel was attacked by the Goshawk as a territorial strike?
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Perhaps the brown goshawk was defending an undetected (by me) nest with young, Shorty. However, from what I've read, the Australian kestrel takes small birds but these are almost always on or near the ground so presumably a brown goshawk wouldn't sense that its young are threatened by a kestrel.
I hear you, Woko. But for the last week a Pied Currawong has been nesting in a tree out in the swamp and is now swooping the Pelicans when they come in to land, would not think that a Pelican would be a threat to a nest in a tree?
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
I think I get your drift, Shorty. Perhaps there are species which, although not an actual threat, are a perceived threat by the nesting bird. Similarly, I wouldn't have thought a shingle-backed lizard would be able to climb high enough into a shrub to take the eggs from a New Holland honeyeater nest. Nevertheless, nesting New Holland honeyeaters here kick up a great storm when they sight a shingle-backed lizard.
All part of the great mysteries & curiosities of Nature. Ain't it grand?
Yep, more questions than answers
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/