1. a small falcon that hovers while hunting for small mammals and insects

Examples

• The kestrel hovered motionless above the field, scanning for mice.
• We spotted a kestrel perched on the telephone wire.
• The American kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America.
• Kestrels are known for their distinctive hovering flight pattern.
• The kestrel dove suddenly to catch a vole in the grass.
• A pair of kestrels nested in the old oak tree.