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Kestrel

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus

Kestrels feed on small mammals, birds, worms and insects. They are often seen hovering over the meadows looking for voles and mice. Their superb eyesight can spot insects from a distance equivalent to roughly the width of a football pitch. Ultraviolet vision allows them to spot urine trails left by rodents making prey easier to locate. Kestrels must eat 4-8 voles a day. Females have brown head feathers and have black bars across the tail. Males have greyish heads and an all grey tail with a black band at its base. Both sexes have yellow feet, yellow around the eyes and yellow skin above their beaks.

Birds