Kestrel
| Irish Name: | Pocaire gaoithe |
| Scientific name: | Falco tinnunculus |
| Bird Family: | Raptors |
red
Conservation status
Conservation status
Status
Widespread resident throughout Ireland.
Identification
A species of falcon. A small bird of prey with long, relatively narrow wings and tail. Has a short, hooked bill for eating meat. Usually, hovers, with a fanned tail, when hunting for its prey, when it manages to keep its head stationary despite its rapid wing beats. Male and female birds have different plumages but both sexes are recognised by their brown back and inner upperwings which contrast with their dark upper outer wings. Confusion with Sparrowhawk is possible but Kestrel has narrower, straighter wings and flies using less gliding in its flight. Males have one, terminal band on the upper tail and show a blue-grey upper tail and rump; females have a series of bands on a brown upper tail. Males have a blue-grey finely streaked head and females a brown streaked head. Both sexes have finely barred underwings with dense spotting on the body. Immature birds are similar to adults, but first summer males and juveniles can be separated from adults, please refer to a field guide.
Voice
Repeated quickly, a series of short sharp notes.
Diet
Mainly small mammals, but will also take insects and invertebrates and sometimes birds. Can see small mammal 'runs', which it scans for signs of movement.
Breeding
A widespread breeder throughout the country. Nests in trees, buildings or in cracks in cliffs. Will use old crows nests. Found in wide variety of open habitats including coasts, moor land, farmland, wetlands, roadside verges and town parks.
Wintering
Largely resident within breeding territory. Some birds move within the country, especially down from the uplands.
Monitored by
Largely resident within breeding territory. Some birds move within the country, especially down from the uplands.
Resident throughout the year.
Blog posts about this bird
BirdWatch Ireland presses parties to put People, Nature and Climate at the heart of election agendas
With potentially just weeks until a General Election, BirdWatch Ireland has written to political parties calling on them to put people, nature and climate front and centre.
In mid-October, we wrote to parties with a clear list of asks for nature, urging them to include them in their election manifestos and the next Programme for Government.
The letter acknowledges the many positive changes made in recent years, including the convening of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, the financial support for the Breeding Wader EIP and support for the Nature Restoration Law, among others. However, while these steps are encouraging, we are urging our politicians not to lose sight of the ongoing twin biodiversity and climate crises in the years ahead.
Our bird populations are in a dire state, with 63% of species either Red or Amber-Listed Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland. Species once considered common and widespread such as Common Kestrel, Common Snipe and Stock Dove are at risk of fading from the landscape and becoming part of our collective memory. The populations of these three species have decreased so substantially that they have recently been classified as Red-listed in Ireland.
Our asks to the political parties fall under four key categories: Build resilience, Supporting farmland birds and farmers, Protecting our seabirds and the opportunities in our seas and Protecting and restoring nature for people, wildlife and climate goals. These asks include (click here for a full list of proposals):
- Fund a Farmland Bird Monitoring Programme as a better reflection than the common farmland bird index of how threatened, Red-listed farmland birds are doing.
- Ensure that farmers can stay on the land by properly funding measures in Ireland’s agri-environment schemes to pay farmers for the valuable ecosystem services they provide including the protection and restoration of farmland bird populations.
- Designate marine Special Protection Areas for birds based on BirdWatch Ireland and BirdLife International Important Bird Areas mapping. Ensure robust management plans for these areas are established and resourced.
- Publish and pass strong and effective Marine Protected Area legislation as soon as possible.
- Ensure that the essential and critical roll out of renewable energy and new ‘renewable energy acceleration areas’ are underpinned by robust bird sensitivity mapping to avoid threats to wild bird populations.
- Establish and resource an effective Wildlife Crime Unit.
- Design, fund and implement an ambitious National Nature Restoration Plan which will set nature on the pathway to recovery and supported by an expert working group, including environmental organisations like BirdWatch Ireland.
BirdWatch Ireland welcomes State purchase of Dowth Estate and establishment of Ireland's seventh National Park
BirdWatch Ireland welcomes the news of the State’s purchase of Dowth Hall demesne in County Meath and the establishment of the 500-acre property as a new National Park.
On Friday, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O Brien TD confirmed the State’s purchase of the World Heritage lands of Dowth Hall and demesne, along with the establishment of a new National Park – the Boyne Valley (Brú na Bóinne) National Park.
A cultural and natural heritage site of national and international importance, the demesne includes Dowth Hall, an eighteenth-century neoclassical country house, and Netterville Manor, a late Victorian almshouse. The lands amount to approximately one-third of the total area of the UNESCO World Heritage Property of Brú na Bóinne, which includes the great Neolithic passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
The purchase paves the way for the establishment Ireland’s seventh National Park. It is the second National Park to be established in the east of the country alongside Wicklow Mountains National Park.
Grey Partridge. Photo: Colum Clarke.
Dowth has been actively managed by Devenish Nutrition over the last decade to preserve its cultural heritage and biodiversity. As well as their position within the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Property, the Dowth lands are important places for nature. They host a wide range of habitats, including species-rich grasslands, native woodlands and mature hedgerows. The Boyne River which runs through the lands is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive, and as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the Birds Directive. Following the State purchase, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will maintain the careful management of the farmlands, habitats and species to date and will work to protect and improve it even further. The new Boyne Valley (Brú na Bóinne) National Park is rich in bird life. 54 species of birds have been recorded at the site including Red-listed species of conservation concern such as Grey Partridge, Woodcock, Kestrel, Swift and Yellowhammer. 19 species recorded at the site are on the Amber list, including Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant and Little Grebe. Dowth is also a haven for other wildlife and plants. The River Boyne is of national importance for a number of species of bat including Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Natterer's Bat, Brown Long-eared Bat, Leisler’s Bat, Whiskered Bat, Daubenton’s bat and Nathusius’ Pipistrelle. It also hosts many species of butterfly including Small Tortoiseshell, Ringlet, Holly Blue, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Large White, Green-veined White, Small White, Red Admiral and Painted Lady. While surveys have not been completed, it is likely that a large population of macro-moths (of which there are over 800 species) occur within managed habitats. Seven species of bee have also been recorded here including White-tailed Bumblebee, Honey Bee, Common Carder Bee, Garden Bumblebee, Early Bumblebee, Red-tailed Bumblebee and Buff-tailed Bumblebee.
Woodcock on the nest. Photo: Richard T Mills
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD welcomed the significant purchase and highlighted the many opportunities it could bring. “Rarely does the State get an opportunity to acquire lands of such significance. This landscape and property is of exceptional heritage importance. Here in this one place, we have over 5000 years of recorded history. In our care, it will significantly enhance our management of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage landscape. We will conserve and protect Dowth’s heritage in line with our obligations to UNESCO and we will enhance responsible tourism, ensuring it becomes a standout destination. This purchase opens up possibilities for us to develop heritage partnerships, protect remarkable heritage and make it accessible. It is simply an outstanding opportunity for an outstanding place.” Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD said that the purchase represented an “outstanding addition to Ireland’s family of National Parks”. “We look forward to sustaining and growing this legacy to ensure that farming, nature and the cultural heritage of this ancient landscape can continue in harmony, as they have done since our ancestors first settled in the Boyne Valley over 5,500 years ago. Through our partnerships with state agencies, departments, local authorities and communities – which are enshrined in Heritage Ireland 2030, our national heritage plan – we are committed to nurturing Dowth as a key pillar of Ireland’s remarkable heritage that we can all admire, be proud of and enjoy.” The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the National Monuments Service and the Office of Public Works (OPW) will now work together to deliver a Masterplan for the property that allows for the protection, presentation and management of this area of the Boyne Valley. Management of Dowth Hall and lands will form part of the existing Brú na Bóinne Management Plan and strengthen the vision for the protection of Dowth’s remarkable heritage, including the Neolithic passage tomb discovered in 2017 under Dowth Hall itself. “The work begins now of developing a Masterplan for Dowth. We will approach this with a keen sense of responsibility, ambition and excitement, knowing that this is a remarkable opportunity for Ireland’s heritage to play a lead role in the regional economy and in place-making for the east of the country,” said Niall O Donnchu, Director General of National Parks and Wildlife Service. “This new National Park is a special place where history, heritage, nature and culture collide. We will work with stakeholders in developing a Masterplan that will deliver on its full potential for locals, visitors and generations to come. I want to pay tribute to our team across the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the National Monuments Services for their work on this acquisition, and on their readiness to take over custodianship of this remarkable place from Devenish who have championed and maintained it with such care over the last 16 years.”
