Common kestrel

Common kestrel

The hovering falcon

בז מצויFalco tinnunculus

The common kestrel is a small falcon with a rusty back and a grey head in the male. It hunts by hovering in place over a field or roadside, watching for mice and large insects. Some kestrels nest on the ledges of apartment buildings, and in a few towns, people have built nest boxes for them. Many winter visitors join the resident birds in the autumn. In the Hebrew language the bird is called a baz, and its high, fast call, kee-kee-kee, can be heard from rooftops.

Glossary: Common kestrel