The study of kestrels.

The study of kestrels is called kestrology. It is a sub-branch of ornithology, which is the study of birds.

Kestrology is a highly specialised field of study, with only about seven professors in the subject area worldwide, and a further eighteen or so people dedicated to full-time study and research. The University of Minnesota in the United States is generally regarded as being at the forefront of kestrology research, largely due to the work of Professor Edgar Simmons. Professor Simmons has been developing the Kestrology Research Centre at the University of Minnesota since 2001, with the aim of continuing and expanding research directly related to kestrel behaviour, and currently runs an MSc in Kestrology. It is hoped this will lead to an increased interest in kestrology, and eventually lead to more work in the field outside of the United States.

Other instituitons which have dedicated kestrology research units include Uppsala University in Sweden, the Lomonoslov Moscow State University in Russia, the Bombay Natural History Society in India, and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand.