I've adopted these two Common Kestrels for the Wild Bird Society of Taipei. I got the male bird (with the gray head) in April, 1997. He suffered a broken wing that did not heal properly, so he would have lived the rest of his life in captivity. The female bird arrived in November, 1997 and was planned to be released as soon as her tail and flight feathers regrow. The two birds lived together on my balcony despite frequent quarrels between them. The female was larger than the male and would often steal food from the male. They also fought over their favorite branch quite often. I fed the Kestrels pounded chicken neck as a staple and white mice occasionally. Unfortunately, while I was off to Cornell summer college in 1998, both kestrels escaped through the window screen of the Wild Bird Society volunteer who was taking care of them over the summer. The search for the missing kestrels was unsuccessful. While, according to the volunteer, there was some habitat nearby where the birds might take refuge, it is unclear whether they would be able to feed and fend for themselves in their physical conditions. The male could not fly for long distances and was beginning to lose weight drastically. The female's tail had become fully grown but her flight feathers were still short. Hopefully, she will recover on her own and be able to migrate to her breeding grounds.

Common Name: Common Kestrel
Scientific Name: Falco tinnunculus
Length: 30 cm (male), 33 cm (female); wingspan 69~74 cm
Distribution: widespread throughout Asia and Europe

The Common Kestrel is a common winter migrant of Taiwan. It can easily be seen on open plains, marshes, and cultivated lands; they can even be seen occasionally on the TAS campus. Kestrels often hovers over open fields scanning the ground below for prey, which include insects, rodents, and small birds.