Figures show that between 1994 and 2019 kestrel numbers have plunged by 82% BY GEORGE MAIR THEY were once a familiar sight, easy to spot hovering over roadside verges and fields as they searched for their prey. But the latest official statistics show that the beloved kestrel has declined by more than 80 per cent in the last 25 years. Now a call is going out for more attention to be paid to the iconic bird's fall in numbers to ensure that the kestrel bounces back. The figures show that between 1994 and 2019 kestrel numbers have plunged by 82%. And the long term decline is the biggest of any monitored farmland bird species in the country, worse than the greenfinch (68% since 1994) and the lapwing (58%).