different between windhover vs kestrel

English

Etymology

wind +? hover, due to the bird’s habit of hovering by beating the wind with its wings; compare the earlier word windfucker.

Noun

windhover (plural windhovers)

1. (Britain) The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). [from 1674]

Synonyms

• kestrel
• staniel
• windfucker, windsucker

Translations

References

Further reading

• common kestrel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Wikispecies

Etymology

From Middle English castrel (“staniel, bird of prey”), from Middle French cresserelle, crecerelle (“bird of prey”), derivative of crecelle (“rattle, wooden reel”), of obscure origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?st??l/

Noun

kestrel (plural kestrels)

1. Any of various small falcons of the genus Falco that hover while hunting.
   • 1878, Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, book 3 chapter 6

     When she was musing she was a kestrel, which hangs in the air by an invisible motion of its wings.

   • 1917, John Masefield, Up on the Downs

     Up on the downs the red-eyed kestrels hover,

     Eyeing the grass.

     The field mouse flits like a shadow into cover

     As their shadows pass.

2. The common kestrel, Falco tinnunculus.

Synonyms

• (common kestrel): windhover, staniel

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• kestrel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Kestrel (disambiguation) on the English Wikipedia. English Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Kestler, kelters, skelter