From tiny Merlins to enormous White-tailed Eagles, the UK’s birds of prey come in all shapes and sizes. These masterful predators are a real treat to see, but they’re often super-fast and many species look quite similar, which can make identifying them a challenge. In this guide, we share some simple ID tips to help you.
Kestrels are widespread across most of the UK. They like open habitats where they have a good view of their prey, such as grassland, farmland and heathland, but you might also spot them in towns.
You’re most likely to see a Kestrel hovering in the air – in fact, this behaviour is so characteristic that it led to the Kestrel’s colloquial name of ‘windhover’. While hovering, Kestrels keep their head still and their eyes fixed on the ground, adjusting their tail and wings to hold position, before dropping down to catch a vole or other small mammal. Kestrels are a familiar sight hovering above road verges, and you might also see them perched on fence posts, scanning the ground for prey.
