Common Kestrel

• Only 66% of individuals survive their first two years.
• It feeds mainly on small rodents, supplemented with small birds, lizards and insects.
• Studies of its ageing have shown the retina deteriorating steadily over the years.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat & environment

A wide range of open habitats across Europe, Asia and Africa, including farmland, coasts and towns

Birth weight

Covered in white down at hatching; exact weight not found as a precise figure

Size at birth

Covered in white down, blind and dependent at hatching

Sexual maturity

1 year (though most do not breed until their second)

Gestation / incubation

26-34 days

Litter / clutch size

3 to 7 eggs per clutch (most commonly 4-6)

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Thai National Parks; GBIF; Oiseaux-birds.com; AnimalHub; Animalia.bio; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info)