Eurasian Kestrel | Common Kestrel

Small falcon with distinctive male plumage: gray head, rusty back, gray tail with broad black tip. Female is brownish above, with barring on the back, wings, and tail. Note rather pointed wingtips (unlike rounded wings of Accipiter hawks), and distinct dark spotting on the breast. Inhabits open and lightly wooded country, farmlands, grasslands, and heathlands; often seen over grassy areas beside roads and at airports. Perches on wires and posts, and typically hunts by hovering, at times fairly high overhead. Very similar to Lesser Kestrel.

In Sri Lanka, the Eurasian Kestrel (also called the Common Kestrel) can be found in open areas like grasslands, agricultural fields, and low-lying hills throughout the country, from the coastal regions to the lower mountain ranges; essentially anywhere with open spaces suitable for hunting insects which is their primary food source.

In Sri Lanka, the Eurasian Kestrel primarily feeds on a diet consisting of small mammals like rodents (mice and rats), large insects (grasshoppers, beetles), small birds, and occasionally lizards, with the specific prey items varying depending on availability in different regions and seasons.