Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Читати українською(переклад на редакторській перевірці)

BirdRaptorFalcon

Two common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in flight beside a wooden post, wings spread. — Common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) at a nest box post in Germany.
Image: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a small falcon of open country across Europe, Asia and Africa, and one of the most familiar birds of prey in its range because of where it hunts: roadside verges, field margins and rough grassland.

Its signature is hovering. A kestrel will hang almost motionless in the air, wings beating and tail fanned, with its head held remarkably still while it scans the ground below — then drop onto prey in a controlled stoop.

Males and females differ: males have a blue-grey head and tail with a chestnut back, while females are more uniformly barred brown. Both show the pointed wings and long tail typical of falcons.

Habitat & Range

Kestrels occupy open and semi-open habitats — farmland, grassland, heath, moorland, marsh edges, road verges and city margins — across Europe, Asia and much of Africa. They avoid dense forest and need open ground to hunt over, along with a raised perch or airspace to hunt from. They readily use buildings, quarry ledges and nest boxes, and old crow nests, rather than building nests of their own.

Diet

Kestrels feed mainly on small mammals, above all voles, supplemented by mice, shrews, small birds, lizards, and large insects such as beetles and grasshoppers. The balance shifts with season and habitat: insects and lizards feature more in warmer regions and in summer, small mammals dominate elsewhere.

Behavior

Beyond hovering, kestrels hunt from perches, dropping onto prey below. One of the most striking findings about them is that kestrels can see into the ultraviolet, and vole scent-marking trails reflect UV — meaning a hovering kestrel may be reading traces of vole activity across a field rather than only watching for movement. They are usually solitary or in pairs, and are vocal around the nest with a sharp repeated call.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Kestrels adapt well to farmland and even urban settings, nesting on buildings and readily taking to nest boxes, which has made them a common subject of local conservation schemes. Populations in parts of Europe have declined, generally linked to agricultural intensification reducing rough grassland and vole numbers, and to secondary poisoning from rodenticides. This profile offers no guidance on keeping or handling raptors, which is regulated in most countries. Verify current status at the IUCN Red List.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-09.

Sourced facts about the Kestrel, with the reference supporting each
Fact	What the source states	Evidence
Geographic range	Europe, Asia and Africa, from Great Britain to China and south to South Africa. Most European breeders are non-migratory; migrants winter in southern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.Biogeographic region tags: Palearctic, Oriental and Ethiopian (all native).	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Geographic Range Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Habitat	Prefers open, grassy fields and farmland with open space to hunt over; sometimes found in forested areas and marshland; from sea level to almost 5000 m.Habitat tags also include urban, suburban and agricultural, as well as chaparral, scrub forest and marsh.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Habitat Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Diet	Mainly small mammals such as voles and mice; sometimes amphibians, reptiles and other birds; also insects, especially beetles and grasshoppers, which it hunts on foot.ADW says kestrels hunt 'by soaring 10 to 20 m above the ground and diving quickly onto their prey', and cache surplus prey when it is abundant.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Food Habits Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body size	Length 30 to 36 cm; wingspan 70 to 80 cm.ADW does not say whether this is total length, and gives no sex-specific lengths; females tend to be larger than males.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body mass	Adults weigh 150 to 190 g; females tend to be larger than males.One range for both sexes; ADW gives no sex-specific masses.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Lifespan	Wild data are scarce, and about 66% survive their first two years. The table gives a wild maximum of 15 years but wild 'averages' of 16.2 and 16.0 years.sources disagreeThe text opens: 'There is little data on the lifespan of F. tunnunculus in the wild.' Predation, pollution, resource limitation and road accidents cause early deaths. No captive figure is given. The 16.2- and 16.0-year figures are attributed to the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research.	Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web — how we know What each reading says 15 years (high) — Animal Diversity Web, wild, range maximum, ADW data table 16.2 years — Animal Diversity Web, wild 'average', Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 16.0 years — Animal Diversity Web, wild 'average', Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research about 66 % — Animal Diversity Web, share surviving their first two years in the wild The data table's wild maximum (15 years, 'high') is lower than both of the wild 'average' lifespans it cites (16.2 and 16.0 years). An average cannot exceed the maximum, so no single wild lifespan can be taken from ADW. Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Lifespan/Longevity Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Activity pattern	A diurnal hunter that spends most of its time perched and resting; non-breeding birds migrate short distances between summer and winter ranges.Long flights are mainly for hunting or courtship. In Europe some birds winter in southern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, but most European breeders are non-migratory (Geographic Range).	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Behavior Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Social structure	Mostly solitary and usually seen alone, in pairs during the breeding season. Pair bonds are long, often lifelong; males rarely take multiple mates (1% to 2% of birds).The second excerpt is from Reproduction; the 1% to 2% figure comes from 'some studies'. Kestrels are territorial (territories 2 to 10 km^2, average 5 km^2) and defend territories year-round.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Behavior Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Distinguishing traits	Longer tail and wings relative to body size than most other falcons. Males have bluish-grey heads and tails; females are reddish-brown with a barred tail.ADW also says 'In both sexes, there is a darker stripe or spot underneath each eye'; the back is darker than the breast, both spotted dark brown or black. Juveniles look more like adult females.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Conservation status	Least Concern (LC), global assessment, 2021	Matches source · IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — how we know IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

References for the facts above

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: Range, habitat, diet, body size and mass, lifespan, activity and social structure, as the account states them. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
ReferenceIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesSupports: The global Red List category and the year of the assessment. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

Frequently Asked Questions — Kestrel

Why do kestrels hover?

Hovering lets a kestrel search a patch of ground carefully from directly above without needing a perch. It holds its head almost perfectly still while its wings beat, scanning for prey movement — and for ultraviolet traces of vole activity — before dropping onto anything it finds.

Can kestrels really see ultraviolet?

Yes. Kestrels have vision extending into the ultraviolet, and the urine and scent marks voles leave along their runways reflect UV light. This means a hovering kestrel can pick out where voles have been active, not just where one happens to be moving at that moment.

What do kestrels eat?

Mainly small mammals, particularly voles, along with mice, shrews, small birds, lizards and large insects. The mix varies by region and season — insects and reptiles matter more in warmer areas and in summer, while voles dominate across much of the European range.

Do kestrels build nests?

No. Kestrels do not construct their own nests. They lay in existing cavities and ledges — holes in trees or cliffs, ledges on buildings and quarries, old nests built by crows and other birds — and they take readily to purpose-built nest boxes.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — Falco tinnunculus (common kestrel) — University of Michigan species account
UniversityCornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds — Cornell University ornithology reference for bird species
Wildlife referenceIUCN Red List of Threatened Species — Authoritative source for current conservation status