Common kestrelFalco tinnunculus — habitat, diet and reproduction

Female kestrel with barred and spotted rufous-brown plumage standing on a rock

Female common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) on a rock. · Alexey V. Kurochkin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). Cropped and resized.

The common kestrel is a small falcon with a rufous back and a long tail. It is easy to recognise when hunting: it hangs still in the air, wings beating fast and head fixed, above a field. It nests in trees, on cliffs and on city apartment blocks.

Quick facts

Common name	Common kestrel
Scientific name	Falco tinnunculus
Lifespan	About 4 years in the wild; some exceed 15 years
Length	About 32–39 cm
Weight	About 135–250 g; females are heavier
Diet	Carnivore: voles, large insects, small birds, lizards
Predators	Goshawks and eagle owls; martens at nests
Conservation status	Least Concern (LC), globally
Distribution	Europe, Asia and Africa
Habitat	Fields, grassland, woodland edges and towns
Family	Falconidae
Wingspan	About 65–82 cm

Interesting facts

While hovering, its head stays almost motionless, even in wind.
Kestrels see ultraviolet light and can detect vole urine trails.
In Bucharest and other cities, kestrels nest on balconies and rooftops of apartment blocks.
It builds no nest and uses old crow nests or cavities.

Characteristics

The kestrel has long, pointed wings and a long tail. The male has a blue-grey head and tail and a rufous back with small black spots, plus a black band at the tail tip.

The female is slightly larger, with a barred rufous-brown back and tail. Both sexes have a dark “moustache” under the eye, like other falcons.

Behaviour

It hunts from a perch or in flight. Hovering on fast-beating wings lets it watch the ground without a branch to sit on. When it spots prey, it drops in stages and then plunges onto it.

It is active by day. Pairs defend the area around the nest, but hunting ranges may overlap. The call is a sharp, repeated “kee-kee-kee”.

Habitat and distribution

The species lives across almost all of Europe, Asia and Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter, while southern ones are resident.

In Romania it is the most common small bird of prey, seen over fields, roadsides and grassland as well as in towns.

Diet and feeding

The main prey is small rodents, especially voles. It also takes large insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, lizards and small birds.

In cities, many kestrels hunt sparrows and other small birds. A pair with chicks may catch dozens of rodents a day, making the kestrel an ally of farmers.

Reproduction and life cycle

The kestrel builds no nest. It uses old crow and magpie nests, tree holes, ledges on cliffs and buildings, or nest boxes.

The female usually lays 4–6 reddish, speckled eggs and incubates them for about four weeks while the male brings food. Chicks fly after about a month but are fed for several more weeks.

Name and history

The scientific name Falco tinnunculus comes from Latin. “Falco” means falcon, and “tinnunculus” comes from “tinnulus”, shrill, after its call.

The Romanian name “vânturel” reflects its habit of hanging in the wind above fields. Romania also has the lesser kestrel, a rarer species that eats mainly insects.

Conservation and threats

The species has a very large population and is assessed globally as Least Concern. In parts of Europe, numbers have fallen because of intensive farming.

Pesticides and rodent poisons reduce its food or poison it directly. Nest boxes on poles and buildings have helped local populations. Like all birds of prey, it is protected in Romania.