The Kestrel is quite a majestic looking bird of prey. It is often seen hovering above the side of main roads hunting for food. They are a chestnut brown colour with a bluish coloured hooked bill, they have large yellow feet.

The males have a black spotted chestnut brown upperparts, and a blue grey head and tail. The tail has a single black bar across it at the tip. Underneath, the breast and belly are a buff coloured with black spots. The female is darker in colour than the male, and the back, mantle and wings all have black barring. The tail has a black baring along its length and its underparts are more heavily streaked in black than the male.

The Kestrel is a relatively small bird varying in length between 35 - 39cm in length. They have a wingspan of just under a metre which enables them to hover several inches above the ground. The Kestrels eyesight is quite remarkable, they can see in ultraviolet light, which enables them to home in on the urine scent trails of small mamals such as mice, shrews and voles. They hunt throughout the day until dusk searching for prey. 

During the winter months in the UK, the Kestrel heads south to the warmer climate of Northern Africa.