(Falco cenchroides)
Length: 30-35 cm Common
Also known as Australian Kestrel, Windhoon and Sparrowhawk.
Singly or in pairs, frequenting open and lightly timbered country. It is a common and familiar species, being numerous in cultivated areas. It is usually seen skimming or hovering over paddocks, crops or grasslands, every now and then dropping down to capture its prey. The call is a peculiar chatter. They eat grasshoppers and other insects, small rodents and occasionally small birds.
Breeding season is variable across Australia, mainly August to November in the south. They nest in a hollow limb of a tree or crevice in a rock; sometimes a deserted nest of a magpie or crow is used. Eggs: 4 or 5; dull white or buff, blotched and freckled with reddish brown.
