Bird 🦅
🦅
Falco tinnunculus
| Size | 32–35 cm Slightly smaller than a Woodpigeon |
|---|---|
| Weight | 136–314 g About the weight of a large apple |
| Lifespan | 4 years |
| Rarity | Common |
| M vs F | Males have a blue-grey head and tail with a black terminal band; females are russet-brown all over with barred tail |
| Habitat | Farmland, grassland, motorway verges, moorland, coastal cliffs — anywhere with short grass and small mammals |
| Best time | Year-round |
| Conservation | UK: Amber LC |
Did you know?
The Kestrel is the only UK bird that routinely hovers — holding perfectly still in mid-air facing into the wind, watching for vole movements in the grass below
The Kestrel is the only UK bird that routinely hovers — holding perfectly still in mid-air facing into the wind, watching for vole movements in the grass below
More for experts
Kestrels can see UV light — vole urine, which glows in ultraviolet, makes the runways of voles visible from above, letting kestrels target the most active hunting areas
Often confused with
Merlin (compact, no hovering, streaky), Sparrowhawk (rounded wings, dashes through cover), Hobby (sleek, long wings)
Merlin (compact, no hovering, streaky), Sparrowhawk (rounded wings, dashes through cover), Hobby (sleek, long wings)