The concept gift: a kestrel is the windhover — the only falcon that holds still in moving air, measuring, before it commits. Hover = measure, stoop = commit. Article IV as a bird.
Three models, one brief. Each round below shows its survivors AND its culls (dimmed, with reasons). To watch each model think — every version in write order — see the iteration record →
A · Windhover
the hover before the stoop — motion held still; closest kin to inspo 1
B · Tail fan
kestrels fan their tails to hover; mid-century trademark energy (inspo 2)
C · Paper kestrel
cut-paper friendliness on the electric blue (inspo 3); tee-print native
D · K-bird badge
the monogram: falcon hiding in the K; doubles as app icon / favicon
CX-A · codex-a
Pocket Kestrel — A compact side bird in four cut-paper shapes: long tail, dark folded wing, and blunt hooked beak.
CX-B · codex-b
Perched — A calm upright kestrel with a long tail and one folded wing, drawn like a small 1950s trademark.
CX-C · codex-c
Soft Pinion — One broad raised wing, swelling through the shoulder and opening into a shallow feather cleft.
Culled / superseded — kept visible, with reasons
OP-A · opus-a
Keystone — a heavy friendly K — the upper arm a swept wing to a pointed tip, the lower a fanned tail; reads K first, kestrel second, and doubles as the app icon
OP-C · opus-c
Stoop — the dive as one bold symmetric mass — wings swept hard back, body driving to a point; the commit that follows the hover
OP-ROUNDEL · opus-roundel
OP-WORDMARK · opus-wordmark
Culled / superseded — kept visible, with reasons