kestrel

IPA/ˈkestrəl/
IPA/ˈkestrəl/

kestrel — noun

  • kestrelsingular
  • kestrelsplural

1. a small falcon that often stays nearly motionless above open ground as it search

1.nounB2
Definition

a small falcon that often stays nearly motionless above open ground as it searches for mice and other small animals

Example

Amira spotted a kestrel hovering above the grass by the road.

kestrel + hover above prey

Kenji sketched a kestrel perched on the fence near the barn.

kestrel perched on a fence

Common collocations
  • kestrel hovering
  • kestrel perched
  • kestrel nest
  • see a kestrel
Synonyms
  • falcon

    a broader bird-family word; kestrel names one smaller kind

  • hawk

    another hunting bird, but less exact for this species

  • bird of prey

    a wider category that includes kestrels and many other hunters

Grammar Patterns

a kestrel

see a kestrel hover

kestrel over a field

kestrel hunts mice

Usage Note

Usually countable. Common verbs are see, spot, watch, and photograph, and the bird is often described as hovering, perching, or diving over open ground.

Common Mistakes

We saw kestrel above the field.
We saw a kestrel above the field.
Use an article before a singular countable noun.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Kestrel is the specific word for this small falcon, especially one people notice hovering over fields before it drops on prey. Falcon is broader and can refer to larger or faster birds in the same family. Hawk is also a broad everyday word for a hunting bird, but it does not suggest the same hovering behavior. Eagle usually means a much larger and more powerful bird. If you mean the small bird hanging in the air above open ground, kestrel is the most exact choice.

kestrel ↗falcon ↗hawk ↗eagle ↗