A Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) draws attention to itself with high-pitched, tittering calls. Only through binoculars does one spot the prey it has brought to the tower. Then it takes flight – with a powerful wing beat, it launches itself into the air from the ledge. It holds its prey in its beak: a mouse, motionless and firmly in its grip.
The Common Kestrel is a typical follower of human habitation, preferring to use elevated structures such as towers, high-rise buildings, or masts as perches and nesting sites. From these vantage points, it has a clear view of adjacent meadows, fields, or railway embankments – ideal hunting grounds. Its main prey consists of small mammals, with the Common Mouse (Microtus arvalis) being by far the most common. Wood mice (Apodemus spp.), shrews (Soricidae sp.), and occasionally young rats (Rattus sp.) are also part of their prey spectrum. One blog in the past even described a Common Kestrel hunting a Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) which was caught accidentally by a net over fruits
Small mammals can make up to 90% of their diet during the breeding season. Common Kestrels are able to successfully raise several young, especially in years with high mouse densities. However, in lean years, they significantly expand their prey spectrum. They then also hunt larger insects (e.g., grasshoppers, crickets, ground beetles – Orthoptera and Carabidae), small birds (e.g., Fringilla coelebs, Passer montanus), or reptiles such as young Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis).
The Kestrel’s hunting technique is distinctive: it prefers hovering – a wing-beating stillness in the air – to locate movements on the ground. Alternatively, it waits on an elevated perch and launches targeted dives from there. Prey is usually caught with the talons and then killed with the beak.
The choice of perch – such as a high tower – not only provides a better overview, but also protects against ground predators and allows for rapid takeoff in case of danger. Especially in urban areas, kestrels have learned to effectively utilize human structures.
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