A steppe kestrel kills a mallard with a 'shadowless' dive at a speed of 90km/h

After just a few seconds, the duck was completely unconscious, and the 'culprit' appeared. It was a steppe kestrel, although it was not yet mature.

Analyzing the video, scientists discovered that the kestrel with a dive of up to 90km/h hit the target, causing the mallard to completely not understand what was going on and was killed.

The video was recorded on the outskirts of Calgary - the southern city of Alberta province, Canada, where large flocks of wild ducks gather to feed. This also attracts many birds of prey to the "duck buffet".

It is known that when encountering waterfowl foraging in the fields, steppe kestrels often use this method of launching a direct "punch" to minimize the animal's ability to resist.

The prairie kestrel (Falco mexicanus) is a species of bird in the genus Falconidae.

The steppe kestrel has a long wingspan, but is thin and pointed. This body structure allows performing dives from the air at very high speeds.

This bird species is distributed in western North America, in harsh desert environments with low prey densities. Therefore, in order to survive, this bird has evolved into an extremely dangerous predator, able to hunt both mammals and large birds.

Steppe kestrels often fly very high, with exceptionally good eyesight they can observe their prey easily. When 'locking on the target', the bird quickly flies down and gradually increases speed, performing dives with speeds of up to 100 km/h.

Kestrels often attack the head or eyeballs of their prey. Extremely fast speed combined with sharp claws, after a collision with a falcon, the prey will often be stunned and unconscious. Then, the steppe kestrel will approach its prey, using its claws and beaked beak with a sharp tip to enjoy the meal.

Lesley Montoya

Update 12 June 2024