Little falcons are small but very bold and dashing raptors that feed primarily on large insects and small birds caught in high-speed aerial pursuits.   They resemble small, sleek, richly-colored peregrines, with slate-blue upperparts and a dark 'helmet' with heavy moustache marks below the eyes.   Unlike peregrines, the undersides are rufous-brown with streaks instead of barring.   These birds were photographed near Lower King and in the Dryandra Woodland Reserve, both in southwestern Western Australia.
        Another small falcon found across the Australian continent is the much paler colored Australian kestrel.

• Canon 40D or 1D3, 500 mm IS lens plus 1.4X or 2X extender; some with 1.4X and 2X conbined (2009)