Falco tinnunculus
Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Farmoor, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
The common kestrel is a small falcon that often hovers in one spot in the air while hunting over open ground. It nests in Georgia and is found there year-round; it has also been seen during migration. If you encounter one, it usually poses no danger to you. To recognize it, look beyond the hovering to its long tail and reddish back with dark spots.
Identification
A small falcon with a long tail and pointed wings. Its back is reddish and its underside pale, both with dark spots. It has a dark stripe below the eye. Hovering in one spot over open ground is a good clue, but you cannot identify it with certainty from hovering alone.
The adult male has a grey head and tail. There is a broad black band at the tip of the tail, and the reddish back is marked with dark spots. The female is browner, with many bars across her tail. A young bird looks like the female.
The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) looks like the common kestrel, but it is a separate species, and it has also been recorded in Georgia. An adult male lesser kestrel has a reddish back without black spots. Its claws are pale, while those of the common kestrel are black. Claw colour can be seen only up close or in a clear photo. If the bird is a female or a young one, the two species are often hard to tell apart. So do not identify the species by hovering alone or by colours seen from a distance.
Seen briefly from a distance, the common kestrel looks like the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Both have pointed wings and a dark mark on the face, and young peregrine falcons are brownish too. The peregrine falcon is more robust, with a dark upper head and a broad dark stripe on the face, like a moustache. The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) has broader wings and a different outline. If you see such a bird from afar, look at the tail: the common kestrel's is long, the peregrine falcon's is short.
It hunts in open areas such as meadows, fields and grassy strips along roads. In Georgia, it has also been recorded in the Lagodekhi Nature Reserve.
The common kestrel map combines Reptiles.ge editorial photo records with public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
It mainly catches small mammals, especially voles and mice. It also hunts insects, small birds and other small animals. While hovering in the air, it watches the ground and descends toward its prey.
It is active during the day. To hunt, it perches on a pole or another raised spot, or beats its wings rapidly to hover in one place. While hovering, its spread tail helps it stay put and its head stays almost still. You may hear its sharp, repeated “ki-ki-ki”, especially near the nest. It nests on a rock ledge, in a gap in a building, or in another bird’s old nest. It does not usually build its own nest from twigs.
As of 2024, the common kestrel's risk of extinction was assessed as low, both worldwide and in Georgia. However, a 2021 global assessment found that its numbers are declining worldwide, but this does not show how its numbers are changing in Georgia. The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a separate species, and its situation is very different: as of 2024, its risk of extinction in Georgia was assessed as extremely high.
Related guides
Yes. It breeds in Georgia and is found here all year round. It has also been seen during migration.
Look for it in open grassy areas and near fields. It has also been seen in Lagodekhi Nature Reserve.
Look for pointed wings, a long tail and a reddish back with dark spots. Fluttering flight is another clue. The male has a gray head and tail, while the female and young bird are browner. Fluttering alone is not enough to identify the bird, so check the wings, tail and back as well.
Adult males are the easiest to tell apart. An adult male lesser kestrel has no black spots on its back, and its claws are light-colored. The common kestrel's claws are black. Females and young birds of these two species are often hard to tell apart.
The common kestrel is usually about 32–35 cm long. Its wingspan is 71–80 cm.
It mainly hunts small mammals, but it also catches other small animals. In an ordinary encounter, it is not dangerous to people. Still, do not approach the nest or touch a wild bird.
References
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
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