American Kestrel

IDENTIFICATION
The American Kestrel is the smallest and most common of the North American falcons. The kestrel is nine to 12 inches in length, only slightly larger than a robin. As with all falcons, there is a notable difference in size between the sexes. Males weigh around three ounces, with females weighing between four and five ounces. The male kestrel is perhaps the most colorful of all North American raptors: his back and tail are a bright rust color, his wings are blue-gray, and his upper breast is a rich rufous color. The female is uniformly reddish-brown with buffy-streaked underparts.

HABITAT
The American Kestrel can be found from the Arctic Circle in Alaska, all the way to southern South America. It inhabits open country, especially agricultural areas and streamsides. Kestrels prefer to nest in tree cavities excavated by large woodpeckers; where such sites are not available, crevices in cliffs and artificial nest boxes will suffice. They prefer to nest at least 20 feet above the ground.

NESTING
The kestrel nesting season begins in late March and early April, when birds return to their nesting territory. The male is usually the first to arrive; his aerial displays are used to attract a mate. The female lays four or five lightly spotted eggs and incubates them for 28 days. Young kestrels remain in the nest for about 25 days and continue to depend on their parents for food for two to three weeks after fledging. The juvenile kestrels migrate south ahead of their parents, usually in September. Young kestrels begin nesting at one year of age.

HUNTING
Kestrels eat a variety of insects, small mammals, lizards and birds. Grasshoppers are a major food item, as well as mice and voles. Formerly called the "sparrow hawk" it is frequently observed on utility wires along highways.

FURTHER READING

Raptors: The Birds of Prey - An Almanac of Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons of the World,
by Scott Weidensaul, Lyons & Burford, Publishers, © 1996.

Hawks, Eagles & Falcons of North America, by Paul A. Johnsgaard, Smithsonian Institution Press, © 1990.

Hawks in Flight, by Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton, Houghton Mifflin Co., © 1988.

AMERICAN KESTREL
IDENTIFICATION The American Kestrel is the smallest and most common of the North American falcons. The kestrel is nine to 12 inches in length, only slightly larger than a robin. As with all falcons, there is a notable difference in size between the sexes. Males weigh around three ounces, with females weighing between four and five ounces. The male kestrel is perhaps the most colorful of all North American raptors: his back and tail are a bright rust color, his wings are blue-gray, and his upper breast is a rich rufous color. The female is uniformly reddish-brown with buffy-streaked underparts.
HABITAT The American Kestrel can be found from the Arctic Circle in Alaska, all the way to southern South America. It inhabits open country, especially agricultural areas and streamsides. Kestrels prefer to nest in tree cavities excavated by large woodpeckers; where such sites are not available, crevices in cliffs and artificial nest boxes will suffice. They prefer to nest at least 20 feet above the ground.
NESTING The kestrel nesting season begins in late March and early April, when birds return to their nesting territory. The male is usually the first to arrive; his aerial displays are used to attract a mate. The female lays four or five lightly spotted eggs and incubates them for 28 days. Young kestrels remain in the nest for about 25 days and continue to depend on their parents for food for two to three weeks after fledging. The juvenile kestrels migrate south ahead of their parents, usually in September. Young kestrels begin nesting at one year of age.
HUNTING Kestrels eat a variety of insects, small mammals, lizards and birds. Grasshoppers are a major food item, as well as mice and voles. Formerly called the "sparrow hawk" it is frequently observed on utility wires along highways.
FURTHER READING Raptors: The Birds of Prey - An Almanac of Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons of the World, by Scott Weidensaul, Lyons & Burford, Publishers, © 1996. Hawks, Eagles & Falcons of North America, by Paul A. Johnsgaard, Smithsonian Institution Press, © 1990. Hawks in Flight, by Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton, Houghton Mifflin Co., © 1988.