Category Archives: Falcon
Nankeen Kestrel at Bendleby Ranges
With any luck, one day I’ll get a good photo of a Nankeen Kestrel! This is only the third one I’ve seen, though they’re quite common across mainland Australia. They’re lovely looking birds, and beautiful in flight too. This one was perched on a far-away bush:
A kestrel is a type of falcon, along with Hobbies and birds like Peregrine Falcons which have the word “falcon” in their name. Kestrels tend to be smaller than other falcons, and catch their prey on the ground by swooping down onto it. As far as I can tell, Nankeen Kestrels are the only type of kestrel in Australia.
Where does the name “Nankeen” come from? In Australia, we have Nankeen Herons as well as Nankeen Kestrels. Evidently the tawny colouring of these birds reminded the Australian settlers of the Chinese cotton cloth called Nankeen.
Common name: Nankeen Kestrel
Scientific name: Falco cenchroides
Length: 30-35 cm; wing span: 60-80 cm
Date spotted: 13 September 2026 (spring)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E
My first Nankeen Kestrel
According to my bird book, Nankeen Kestrels are common in mainland Australia. Still, this is the first time I’ve spotted one. The bird has a distinctive light-coloured tail with dark tips to the tail feathers:
The bird was very far away, flying and diving above a valley in the Victorian Alps. For that reason, the photos aren’t great. But I do want to record the sighting!
Common name: Nankeen Kestrel
Scientific name: Falco cenchroides
Length: 30-35 cm; wing span: 60-80 cm
Date spotted: 27 December 2025 (summer)
Location: Blue Rag Range Track, Victoria, Australia: 37°06’13.4″S 147°04’00.4″E
Brown Falcon and Black-shouldered Kite having a barney
I was looking for the silo art in Merriwa, New South Wales, when I came across a Brown Falcon and a Black-shouldered Kite having a disagreement.
This is my first sighting of a Brown Falcon. It was cool to see the bird doing some aerial acrobatics!
The action goes down very fast! I’ve taken some stills from the video, to make it easier to see what happens:
Despite the aerial competence, Brown Falcons feed mostly on the ground, eating reptiles, beetles and grasshoppers, mice, and carrion. Look at those long legs and strong feet, good for picking off the unwary prey as it makes its way across a field or a road.
Here’s a shot of the Brown Falcon taking a rest after the action was over:
Common name: Brown Falcon and Black-shouldered Kite
Scientific name: Falco Berigora and Elanus axillarus
Approximate length: 40-50 cm (Brown Falcon) and 35 cm (Black-shouldered Kite)
Date spotted: 12 September 2025 (spring)
Location: Merriwa, New South Wales, Australia: 32°08’14.9″S 150°21’50.6″E
For those interested in the silo art, here it is! The Merriwa Silos are the 29th addition to the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection. The artwork was completed by David Lee Pereira in April 2019:
