The vertebrate prey is pounced on from a rapid dive, then grabbed by the claws and killed by a bite to the base of the skull. Reproduction Breeding occurs during the months of March through June. Kestrels do not build nests. Instead they lay their eggs in a depression they scrape in the trees of the nesting location. They breed in colonies of up to 100 pairs.
Females invest more time in nesting activities than males.
Kestrels have a normal clutch size of 4 to 6, laid over a two day interval, but the range in number of eggs is 1 to 7. Incubation starts after the third egg is laid and lasts 28 to 31 days. Because incubation is delayed until the after the third egg, the first three eggs usually hatch on the same day with the rest following in the next couple of days. This means the last bird hatched is smaller than the rest. The difference in size allows the brood to be reduced by sibling rivalry if sources of food are short.