American Kestrel

[birder]

I have been working on this one for awhile now, and I think is getting ready for a build thread of this pretty little hawk.
The Kestrel is one of the most common birds of prey in the USA, and most folks who know some birds are familiar with it. There are 3 general types of hawks, the buteos (Redtail, Red-shouldered, ect) that soar on wide wings, the accipiters that zoom through the wooded areas, (Cooper's, Sharp shinned) And the speedsters the falcons (Peregrine, Merlin), which have been flown by falconers for at least hundreds of years. This bird is an amazing little falcon, I remember seeing a pair of them playing among some tall rocks on a windy day, amazed at their flight.
As our smallest falcon it can be overlooked as it perches on telephone wires when driving through open country. It eats mostly grasshoppers, mice and some small birds. Who ever thought a falcon could live off grasshoppers?

Up close the markings are beautiful, and delicate face and bill stand out in my mind. Here's the model pages and I hope to build it in next few days .Of course I've already built the parts lots of times but not in this present version and may need more tweeks, we'll see.

[Michael Mash]

Looking forward to seeing you create a Kestrel.
Based on what I see in the image, this kind of design work must be a challenge.
Particularly with the head and feet.

[birder]

Originally Posted by Michael Mash

Looking forward to seeing you create a Kestrel.
Based on what I see in the image, this kind of design work must be a challenge.
Particularly with the head and feet.

It's fun but some fails along the way

[birder]

Cutting out the head and bill. Gluing down tabs starting from the front then to the back shaping the head as steady as she goes. I hold pressure quite a while for some of these seams to get them to hold fast.
The front is tricky as can't really hold the middle head and the throat seams separately so glue the throat still holding to the head seam. Fiddling with it until it holds well and adding glue if needed, when secure set aside to dry. The bill is glued only in the tabs and bill hook, so that is open on the inside. While these dry, cutting lower body part. When the bill and head are dry spread the bill and squeeze to open as able, then add glue to the inside of the bill edge liberally and add this I try to line up with the line from the top of the head.

[Siwi]

We have these in Europe too, although perhaps the colouring is different. They are easy to identify as they are smaller than other birds of prey but display the same hovering behaviour.


I would consider cutting the top of the head off and making this structure in two pieces. Providing the whole head as a single piece perhaps adds unwanted complexity, not least with the cutting out. Coming from aircraft modelling, it seems easier to glue the 'cylinder' part of the head and attach the crown, in the same way we would make fuselage sections and then add the nose or tail dome.

[hornswoggler]

The head turned out really nice. I think this will become an awesome bird.
Keep going!

[birder]

Thanks for your interest in this model I am pleased with the result definitely.
Moving to the body construction, belly part is simple process of gluing down the tabs, and holding each one for a bit to be sure will stay closed but ok reglue of course. the back is similar and when completed test to see where it lines up. I have been making some changes to the model so will look slightly different at the line up marks, I didn't want them to show so much as here in case they be visible later. The tail cone is simple roll and glue, and does fit with a little slight effort into the body under the back, and glue added to the bottom only at this time and let it dry well. cut out the area for the tail. laminate the wings and tail parts, the back parts should be slightly larger to allow trimming. Then the wings are inserted where they line up, gluing in the marked area, as is the tail. Then add some glue below the wings to secure to the tail cone. Let it dry a while. with glue to the inside edge ot the head it can be fitted look and see that isn't tilted to either side.

[birder]

more picture later

[birder]

more pictures.. feet and perch to come

[Michael Mash]

Nice work Glen.
Colorful bird.