Eurasian Kestrel

Falco tinnunculusOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Falcons (Falconidae)

Codes: Common Name: EUKE Scientific Name: FALTIN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175620

Related Birds

Prairie Falcon
Merlin
American Kestrel
Eurasian Hobby
Aplomado Falcon

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Eurasian Kestrel: Small falcon, spotted rufous upperparts, brown-streaked buff underparts. Gray head, black moustache stripe. Tail is black- and blue-gray banded with black tip. Feeds on large insects, small rodents and birds. Alternates rapid wing beats with a glide. Soars on thermals and updrafts.

Range and Habitat

Eurasian Kestrel: Native to Europe, Asia, and Africa; casual visitor to western Aleutians and Bering Sea region, accidental in fall and winter on the east coast from New Brunswick to New Jersey, and on the west coast to British Columbia. Found in open grasslands, hills, plains, and cultivated and semi-desert areas.

Topo Map: Hawk-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kee-kee-kee"

Interesting Facts

The Eurasian Kestrel is also known as the European and the Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally called the Kestrel.

It has recently been shown that they are able to see near ultraviolet light. This allows them to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows, which reflect this ultraviolet light.

A group of kestrels are collectively known as a " flight", " hover", and "soar" of kestrels.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Eurasian Kestrel

● Song: "kee-kee-kee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Eurasian Kestrel: Feeds mostly on short-tailed field voles, but also consumes other voles, mice, shrews, small birds, insects, and earthworms.

● Breeding & nesting: Eurasian Kestrel: Three to six brown marked, white eggs are laid in an abandoned nest, usually in a tree split or cavity, and lined with little if any nest material; nest may also be located on a ledge, cliff, or building. Incubation ranges from 28 to 32 days and is carried out primarily by the female.

● Similar species: Eurasian Kestrel: American Kestrel is smaller and has two dark facial stripes.

Flight Pattern

Rapid wing beats followed by short glide.

● Range & Habitat: Eurasian Kestrel: Native to Europe, Asia, and Africa; casual visitor to western Aleutians and Bering Sea region, accidental in fall and winter on the east coast from New Brunswick to New Jersey, and on the west coast to British Columbia. Found in open grasslands, hills, plains, and cultivated and semi-desert areas.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationAccidental to casual

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight6.6 Ounces

Hawk-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America