Falco tinnunculus
The Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, is a widespread and highly adaptable raptor, renowned for its distinctive hovering flight while hunting. This medium-sized falcon typically measures 32-39 cm in length with a wingspan of 65-82 cm and weighs between 130-280 grams. Males are particularly striking with a grey head and tail, rufous-brown back marked with black spots, and a pale, lightly spotted underside, complemented by a prominent black moustachial stripe. Females, slightly larger and brow...
Common Kestrels thrive in open country, including farmland, grasslands, heathland, and even urban areas with scattered trees or buildings. They prefer low to mid-elevations but can be found in mountain environments up to 4,500 meters.
Their diet primarily consists of small mammals, especially voles and mice, large insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and occasionally small birds or reptiles, caught by pouncing from a hover or perch.
Common Kestrels are diurnal hunters, spending much of the day searching for prey from a perch or, most famously, by hovering into the wind, maintaining a stationary position with rapid wingbeats. Once prey is sighted, they make a swift, precise dive to capture it. Roosting typically occurs in tre...
The Common Kestrel boasts an extensive geographic distribution, spanning much of the Old World from Western Europe across Asia to Japan, and throughout Africa. Its breeding range covers temperate and subtropical regions of the Palearctic and Afrotropical zones. European populations, particularly ...
Least Concern
- The Common Kestrel can detect ultraviolet light, which allows it to see the urine trails of voles, revealing pathways to potential prey even when the voles themselves are hidden. - It is a master of hovering, able to stay completely still in the air for extended periods, a hunting technique uni...