Kestrel

The term kestrel comes from the French word crécerelle, which is related to crécelle meaning ratchet. It is the common name for several species of predatory birds that belong to the falcon genus Falco.

Kestrels are special because of how they hunt. They usually fly about 10 to 20 metres (35 to 65 feet) above open land and then quickly dive down to catch small animals like mice, lizards, or big insects. This is different from other falcons, which often chase their prey while flying fast.

These birds are found in many parts of the world and are important for keeping the numbers of small animals in balance. Their unique way of hunting makes them very interesting to watch and study.

Description

Most birds called kestrels belong to a special group of falcons. Scientists think these birds separated from other falcons a long time ago, during a time called the Miocene to Pliocene, which was about 7 to 3.5 million years ago. Some kestrels from Africa don’t have a special stripe on their face and have grey areas on their wings.

Later, around 2.5 to 2 million years ago, the main group of kestrels with a face stripe appeared. These birds lived in Africa and then spread to other parts of the world, reaching Australia less than a million years ago. There are also some grey kestrels in Africa and Madagascar that look like other kestrels but might be different.

The American kestrel is the only kestrel found in the New World. Scientists believe it may not actually be a true kestrel. It might be closer to other American falcons like the peregrine falcon, the aplomado falcon, and the prairie falcon rather than to true kestrels.

Groups

The kestrel is a common name for several types of birds that belong to the falcon family. These birds are known for hovering above the ground and then quickly diving down to catch small animals like mice, lizards, or big insects.

Some well-known kestrel groups include:

• Malagasy kestrel, found on Madagascar
• Seychelles kestrel, found on the Seychelles
• Mauritius kestrel, found on Mauritius
• Réunion kestrel – no longer living (around 1700)
• Spotted kestrel, found in Indonesia
• Nankeen kestrel or Australian kestrel, found in Australia and New Guinea
• Common kestrel or Eurasian kestrel, found in Europe, Asia, and Africa
• Rock kestrel, found in South Africa

Other groups include the Greater kestrel, Fox kestrel, Lesser kestrel, Grey kestrel, Dickinson's kestrel, Banded kestrel, and the American kestrel, which lives in North America and South America.