kestrel
3
7.9
- noun
- /ˈkɛstrəl/
:
cernícalo
- When hunting, the kestrel often hovers in the air, scanning the ground for prey.
- European kestrels
- American kestrel
Examples
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Occasional raptors beside the river were: Common Kestrel, Short-toed Eagle, and Montagu's Harrier.
Blog text (23) -
Falcons do that; it's seldom they will come for me, save for the little merlins and kestrels.
Fiction book (1993) -
"A kestrel is a kind of falcon, isn't it?
Fiction book (1993) -
Look, a kestrel.
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Turkish authorities released a kestrel they suspected was spying for Israel after determining it carried no surveillance equipment, officials said.
Academic text (2013) -
The goshawk turned its back to me, and the kestrel did a cross-step dance across its perch.
Fiction book (1993) -
Other threatened or endangered wildlife observed at the wetlands include the American Kestrel, Bald Eagle, wood stork, and the Florida black bear.
Academic text (1996) -
About 10 percent are golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, and burrowing owls, the latter a California species of special concern.
Academic text (2008) -
I spotted a kestrel perched on a fence post, watching for mice in the grass.
-
Birdwatchers flock to parks to observe the kestrel due to its remarkable hunting skills.
Synonyms
A small hunting bird that hovers above fields while looking for mice and insects
A small North American bird that hunts small animals with a reddish-brown back, blue-grey wings, and black face markings
A small bird of prey in North America often called the American kestrel
Compounds
A small North American bird that hunts small animals with a reddish-brown back, blue-grey wings, and black face markings
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
Kestrel comes from an old French name for a small hawk, which is a helpful picture because a kestrel is a little falcon often seen 'hovering' in the air while it watches for prey. So the origin reminds you that a kestrel is a small bird of prey that stays in one place in the air to hunt.