Common Kestrel

The common kestrel, also called the Eurasian or European kestrel, is a small falcon with a large native range across Europe, Asia and Africa, occasionally reaching the east coast of North America. It has colonised a few oceanic islands, but vagrants are rare. The old name windhover refers to its habit of hovering in the air, and the word kestrel derives from an old French term (Wikipedia, general species account).