Dutch Birding volume 37 (2015) no 2

Lesser Kestrel at De Hoge Veluwe in March 2002

On 23 March 2002, a kestrel Falco was photographed at National Park De Hoge Veluwe, Gelderland, the Netherlands. The photographer posted his single photograph of the bird on www.birdpix.nl, labelled as Common Kestrel F tinnunculus. Some years later, doubts were raised about this identification because the bird clearly shows pale claws, a feature unique to Lesser Kestrel F naumanni. It took some more years before the file was complete (eg, the exact date of the observation) but, eventually, the report was submitted and, in 2014, accepted by the Dutch rarities committee (CDNA). In addition to the pale claws, features visible in the photograph pointing to Lesser are the less pronounced head pattern (due to less or narrower streaking) and the relatively narrow black bars on the feathers of mantle and shoulder. This was the second record for the Netherlands; the first concerned a first-year female found weakened (and dying shortly after) at Bergen, Noord-Holland, on 5 November 2000.