Eurasian Kestrel

Overview
Eurasian Kestrel: Small falcon, spotted rufous upperparts, brown-streaked buff underparts. Gray head, black moustache stripe. Tail is black- and blue-gray banded with black tip. Feeds on large insects, small rodents and birds. Alternates rapid wing beats with a glide. Soars on thermals and updrafts.

Range and Habitat
Eurasian Kestrel: Native to Europe, Asia, and Africa; casual visitor to western Aleutians and Bering Sea region, accidental in fall and winter on the east coast from New Brunswick to New Jersey, and on the west coast to British Columbia. Found in open grasslands, hills, plains, and cultivated and semi-desert areas.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Eurasian Kestrel is also known as the European and the Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally called the Kestrel. It has recently been shown that they are able to see near ultraviolet light. This allows them to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows, which reflect this ultraviolet light. A group of kestrels are collectively known as a " flight", " hover", and "soar" of kestrels.