The magic behind the hover. Kestrels have a remarkable ability to stay put in the air. This is called hovering and whilst other birds of prey are capable, none can do it for as long or as well as the Kestrel. They do this by facing into the wind and flapping their wings at a rapid rate, allowing them to stay stationary above potential prey. Kestrels can flap their wings at a rate of about 5 to 10 beats per second when hovering. This works out to be around 300 to 600 beats per minute. This footage, captured by @lawrencechatton, has been slowed down so you can see the magic behind the hover. #Kestrel #BirdofPrey #BirdofPreyPhotography