Kestrel on pigeon

[cjinx]

I plan on obtaining a kestrel next season so I wonder, Is it's plausible to take free flying pigeons with a kestrel? Is the kestrels flight style able to adapt to a large avian prey such as a pigeon. A paragraph in NAFHH seems to point to their ability to adapt their flight style to avian prey.
And what about the size issue? A pigeons can way many times that of a kestrel; obviously kestrels are not to be underestimated but do you think they can hang on long enough for me to come to their aide? I have no shortage of pigeons and during the winter when other prey is under the snow or in low populations it would provide limitless and sport filled hunting.

Cjinx

[Migisi]

Jul 6, 2008 14:08:59 GMT -5 cjinx said:

I plan on obtaining a kestrel next season so I wonder, Is it's plausible to take free flying pigeons with a kestrel?

No. If you want to take pigeons, get a Coops.

I have a homer loft and resident Ks on my property. I've seen the Ks chase the pigeons - but it's just for fun.

One morning, a pigeon was graveling along the road shoulder. I watched a wild fe K bind to it on the ground and try to fly away with it. What a joke! The pigeon just hunkered down and stayed put - the K attached to its wing, and frantically flapping to move the pigeon. It was hilarious. ;D

The average weight of a pigeon is between 10 and 16 ounces (depending on the breed). The average female K weighs 4+ ounces.

[bullet]

I have also seen an attempt that, the female kbird struck one of my roller pigeons in flight. They both fluttered to the ground where a wrestling match begun. At one point the big male pigeon dragged the clinging falcon a few feet across the ground.The battle ended as soon as it began, the roller got free and the very disappointed falcon flew back to her nest box less than a mile up the road(my father and I plus a fellow falconer put up 4 kestrel boxes in febuary).

I agree with Migisi, hawking pigeons even with the biggest female kestrel would be a waste of time.

[UTLongWinger]

I used to have a picture of my imprint Female Kestrel perched on the back of a pigeon. The pigeon was a little skittish, but my kestrel seemed to figure out that the pigeon was just too big to kill.