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.
Common kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Farmoor, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a small falcon that breeds and occurs year-round in Georgia. It often hovers while hunting over open ground; its long tail is another useful identification clue.
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 32–35 cm; wingspan 71–80 cm
- Status in Georgia
- Breeds; present year-round and on passage
- Habitat
- Open grassland and fields
- Diet
- Small mammals; also insects and other prey
- Conservation
- Least Concern globally (2021) and nationally (2024)
Falco tinnunculus is a small bird of prey in the falcon family. It nests in Georgia and is found there year-round; it has also been observed during migration. If you encounter one, it usually poses no danger to you. You can recognize it by the way it hovers over open ground, its long tail, and its reddish back with dark spots.
Identification
Common kestrel: how to identify it
A small falcon with a long tail and pointed wings. Its back is reddish with dark spots, while its underside is pale with dark spots; it has a dark stripe below the eye. Hovering in one spot in an open area is a useful clue, but this behavior alone is not enough to identify it with certainty.
The adult male has a gray head and tail. There is a broad black band at the end of its tail, and its reddish back has dark spots. The female is browner and has many bands across her tail. A young animal resembles the female.
The similar-looking Falco naumanni has been recorded in Georgia, but it is a separate species. An adult male Falco naumanni has a reddish back without black spots. Its claws are pale, while those of the other species are black. Claw color is visible only up close or in a clear photo. If a bird is female or young, the two species are often hard to tell apart. Do not identify it by hovering alone or by colors seen from a distance.
Seen briefly from a distance, both the common kestrel and Falco peregrinus have pointed wings and a dark mark on the face. Young Falco peregrinus are also brownish. Falco peregrinus is more robust: it has a short tail, a dark upper head and a broad, dark, moustache-like mark on its face. The common kestrel has a long tail. Buteo buteo has broader wings and a different outline.
Often confused with
In Georgia, it has also been recorded in the Lagodekhi Nature Reserve. It hunts in meadows, fields and other open areas, including grassy strips along roads.
Recorded (photo observations)field records
Too few records · 1
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
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- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It is active during the day. To hunt, it perches on a pole or another raised spot. It also beats its wings rapidly to hover in one place. Its spread tail helps it stay in place, while it keeps its head almost still. Its sharp, repeated “ki-ki-ki” call can be heard 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 was assessed as being at low risk of extinction both worldwide and in Georgia. A 2021 global assessment found that its numbers were declining worldwide, but it does not show how its numbers are changing in Georgia. Falco naumanni is a different species and, as of 2024, was assessed as being at extremely high risk of extinction in Georgia.
Paul Colin Hennig / firstdorsal.eu / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bad Urach, Germany
Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Farmoor, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Donsky · Tbilisi
Alexis Lours / CC BY 4.0 · Franconville, France
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Common kestrel.
Yes. It breeds in Georgia, is found there year-round, and has also been seen during migration.
Look for it in open grassy areas and near fields. It has also been recorded in Lagodekhi Nature Reserve.
Look for pointed wings, a long tail, a reddish back with dark spots, and fluttering flight. The male has a gray head and tail; the female and young bird are browner. Fluttering flight alone is not enough to identify the bird.
An adult male lesser kestrel has no black spots on its back. Its claws are light-colored, while those of the common kestrel are black. Females and young birds of these two species are often hard to tell apart.
This species is usually about 32–35 cm long, with a wingspan of 71–80 cm.
It mainly hunts small mammals, but also catches other small animals. An ordinary encounter with it is not dangerous for people. Do not approach the nest or touch a wild bird.
References
What this profile is based on
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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