Hull urban birds. 16. Kestrel

Kestrels are small falcons that live in open spaces. They have pointed wings and a relatively long tail with a black tail band and speckled chest and back, with dark lines from the eyes down. Males have grey/blue head and tail and russet mantle, while females and juveniles are browner and more speckled. Kestrels feed mainly on small rodents (voles and mice), which are supplemented with insects, worms and birds. When hunting in windy conditions, they use a distinctive hovering technique. In still weather they will perch on a lamppost, fence post or tree branch) and use a sit-and-wait strategy.

Kestrel hovering over grassland on railway triangle. 

A pair of Kestrels breed in the middle of the city. The railway triangle includes scattered trees, plenty of rough grassland and a lack of disturbance. Both photos taken 16 June 2014.

Habitat

Kestrels breed in open areas with rough grassland or scrub, where they can find their prey. They readily use urban areas including wide road verges and banks, railway sidings and brownfield and industrial land. They can use old crow nests to breed and they will also use next boxes.

Status and distribution in Hull

Kestrels are breeding resident birds in Hull, where they are more common in the outskirts, industrial estates and playing fields. Population may increase during passage or during winter. Reliable sites are Noddle Hill LNR, Wilberforce Wood, Oak Road lake and the railway triangle by KC Stadium.

Male Kestrel on CCTV post. Stockholm Road. 13/April/2021.

Male Kestrel in flight. Sculcoates. 13/April/2021.

Female Kestrel. Noddle Hill LNR. 14/Dec/2020. 

 Railway triangle by KC stadium. 24/Nov/2020.

Female at Oak Road playing fields. 16/Feb/2021. 

Conservation status and management

Amber due to sustained population declines in the last decades, which mirrors the wider situation in Europe. Organochlorine pesticides, used widely to increase agricultural production affected Kestrel populations through Europe due to egg shell thinning in the 50's and early 60's. Populations recovered and then started a decline from the 80s once these pesticides were banned. The Breeding bird survey shows that for the Yorkshire and the Humber the population is still declining, and has been reduced by a third (−30% between 1994 and 2019). The reasons behind this decline are likely to be complex. They may include habitat loss (for example in urban habitats, development of brownfield sites or tree planting of grassland), decreased prey populations due to agricultural intensification, competition with other raptors, secondary poisoning from rodenticides, and lack of suitable nest sites. A recent study found that 67% of Kestrels found dead in the UK and sent for analysis between 1997 and 2012 had chemical residues of one or more anticoagulant rodenticides. Adults had more chemical concentrations than juveniles, indicating poison accumulation and repeated exposures. The lethal levels of these chemicals in Kestrels are unknown, but the study showed that these chemicals have a negative effect on Kestrels, as in years when total anticoagulant concentrations were higher, the Kestrel population index was significantly lower.

Breeding Bird survey results for Kestrel in Yorkshire and the Humber, from 1994 to 2019.The first year is set to 100 for convenience.

 

A Kestrel on a Barn Owl box at North Cave Wetlands, 14 April 2019.

Management actions to favour Kestrels in Hull could include: 

• Installing and monitoring nest boxes. These can be fitted to buildings or trees. Nest boxes could be fitted, in collaboration with industry partners, on warehouses and industrial buildings, where there is little risk of vandalism. Liaise with conservation organisations to follow on any nest boxes installed, for example colour-ringing the offspring.

• Kestrels will benefit from converting regularly mowed grass into wildlife meadows, or from reducing the mowing regime to encourage longer grass to increase their favoured prey habitat.

• Kestrels should be taken into account when tree planting not to encroach on their open habitats.

• The use of rodenticides should be avoided in areas used by Kestrels. A publicity campaign in industrial estates and local pest controllers to increase awareness on the risks of poisoning of non-target species such as Kestrels, Buzzards and owls could be helpful.

More information

Breeding Bird Survey Results website.

Hawk Conservancy Trust. Kestrel Conservation Monitoring. website.

RSPB Project, causes of Kestrel population declines. 

Roos, S. et al. Annual abundance of common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) is negatively associated with second generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Ecotoxicology (2021) doi:10.1007/s10646-021-02374-w

Top shot: Male Kestrel hovering at Noddle Hill LNR.14/Dec/2020.