Tårnfalk

Did you know that the kestrel is one of the Danish birds of prey that has the most young? In each litter, females lay between 2 and 6 eggs. The number depends on how much food the females get. 

KESTREL

Family: Falke-Familien 

Weight: 190-240g

Lifestyle: Breeding pair 

Diet: Primarily mice, but also large insects 

The kestrel is one of Denmark's smallest and most common birds of prey. It is reddish-brown on the back, pale and speckled on the belly, underside of the tail and on the underside of the wings. Males are blue-grey on the head and on the upper side of the tail. 

The kestrel can be found throughout Denmark, where it breeds in inaccessible places, such as tall trees, in high nest boxes and on tall buildings. However, the kestrel does not build its own nest. It moves into nest boxes or other birds of prey's old nests. It often settles in old crow's nests. The kestrel is faithful to its nest for many years at a time. After a few years, the inside of the bottom of the nest consists of a thick layer of regurgitation.

Kestrel Muses

The kestrel is a skilled hunter with a very special hunting technique. The birds hover quite quietly at a height of between 8 and 40 meters, where it can keep an eye on when the prey is coming. This technique is called museing, or that the kestrel muses.

Most often, the kestrel muses just above the mice's preferred paths. The kestrel can find these paths because it can see ultraviolet light. Mouse urine reflects UV light, and since mice mark the area by urinating, the probability of gain will be greatest where the UV light is strongest.

In winter, the kestrel does not muse, but instead sits quietly high up in trees, to save energy. The technique is less efficient, but it is more energy-efficient.