Lesser Kestrel or Crecellerette

Such excitement - for our neighbouring village of Saint Pons Mauchiens and the Crau area in the Camargue between them host about 250 breeding pairs of these Lesser Kestrels every year. They nest in the roofs of buildings but sometimes in holes in trees. The birds are smaller than the Kestrel but similar in colouring and with a similar diet of insects, cicadas, crickets, small reptiles and rodents. Katie and I went to the village last week and saw at least 25 in the air at any one time. They were flying with the swifts and darting around in the same manner catching insects. I photographed this one then which I think is the male. The female doesn't have the grey head.