Parque Nacional Garajonay

Canary Islands Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus canariensis)

This is one of the most common birds of prey in Spain which you can see overflying the countryside at a low altitude. It weighs about 250 grams and although it prefers open land it can also be found in woodland clearings as well as urban environments close to man. It hunts by hovering at 10 to 30 metres with the tail open like a fan for a minute or more inspecting the ground and going to another patch if it has not found prey. It brings up its young alone and on occasion it takes advantage of the old nests of crows, squirrels or other birds of prey. It is a subspecies that is endemic to the Canary Islands, Selvagens and Madeira.

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