The kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a medium-sized bird, which from the end of its tail to the tip of its short bill measures 31 to 37 cm, and its wingspan ranges from 68 to 78 cm. It has long and fairly narrow wings, which at the tips are somewhat blunt. We often see it hovering in the air in place, at which time it points its long tail toward the ground and spreads it in a fan shape. Its brownish back is speckled with black spots, which also adorn its light brown belly with a slightly pinkish tinge. Under the eyes it has 'whiskers' – a band of dark-coloured feathers. The tips of the flight feathers are black, as are the sharp claws on its yellow toes. The female has a grey-brown upper side of the tail that is heavily striped, while in the male the upper side of the tail is blue-grey and without pattern. At the trailing edge of the tail both sexes have a wide black band. The male also has a grey head, while the female's head is brown with noticeable longitudinal stripes.
The kestrel is a diurnal bird that is specialized mainly for hunting ground-dwelling animals, small mammals and insects, but also birds. Most often it hovers in the air and keeps watch for voles, which are its favourite food; it does not shy away from other rodents, for example rovk and mice, as well as larger insects. Its distinctive hovering in the air has given it its name; it often hunts from a sitting position as well. Perched on the top of a power line, on a wire or at the top of a shrub or tree, with its remarkable vision it searches for prey. It prefers open landscapes where meadows, hedgerows and fields intertwine, but it is a fairly adaptable species, so we can see it nesting and hunting even in city centers. In cities most of its diet consists of smaller birds, and it nests in attics or in holes and crevices in tall buildings. Outside cities it lays eggs in abandoned raven nests or in tree hollows, as it does not build nests itself. The breeding season lasts roughly from March to June. In our region it is present year-round, but populations from northern Europe retreat to southern regions before winter.
The kestrel is still a relatively common species in our region, but it is listed in the Red List of nesting birds of Slovenia as a vulnerable species, as the abandonment of traditional extensive farming on one side and the introduction of 'modern' intensive farming on the other may seriously threaten the kestrel. The welfare of the kestrel and other animals is also reflected in a higher quality of life for people, though we are too poor at realizing this and too seldom aware of it. Predators at the top of the food chain are, in fact, a good indicator of how healthy our environment really is. The absence of predators tells us plainly that something is seriously wrong with our environment ... and vice versa.
