AMERICAN KESTREL

Falco sparverius

Description

The American Kestrel is a beautiful, robin-sized falcon. This tiny raptor has the typical falcon body shape, a short neck and a small head that has a black and white pattern with dark, vertical, black stripes on the side of its head. It is a rust-colored falcon and the male is distinguishable by having blue-gray wings and an unbarred tail while the female sports a barred tail and lacks the blue-gray wings. The kestrel has a sharp, hooked bill and large, talon-tipped feet that are ideal for hunting. In flight, pointed wings and rapid wing beats help to identify this raptor.

Life History

American Kestrels are apt and able hunters. They hunt large insects, bats, mice, birds and small reptiles. Kestrels usually hover before dropping on prey from above, pinning victims to the ground. They rarely chase prey, such as flying insects or bats, through the air.

Pair bonding among kestrels is strong and usually permanent. A pair is established after the male takes over a particular territory. Thereafter, a female will begin to hunt and associate herself with the male. The major components that will strengthen the bond between the two kestrels include courtship feeding of the female by the male, aerial displays and the search for a nest site. Kestrels nest in the spring from April to early June in woodpecker holes, natural cavities, niches in cliffs or buildings and in nest boxes that are specifically set up for them. The female is the main incubator of three to five whitish eggs that are heavily blotched with brown for approximately 30 days. During the nesting period, the male provides the family with food. Later, both will hunt as the nestlings mature and eventually leave the nest some 30 to 31 days after they hatch.

Habitat and Distribution

The American Kestrel is distributed very widely throughout North America. Although they are found from alpine zones down into desert habitats, they generally prefer savanna-like areas with few trees, farmsteads, woodland borders, city parks and suburban areas.

Certainly, the kestrel's ability to adapt to such varying conditions has enabled it to remain one of the most abundant raptors of North America.

Links

• American Kestrel - Marcel Granger
• Kestrel breeding - Linz Austria
• The Hawk Conservancy - UK
• The Kestrel Box Homepage - webcam
• Falco sparverius - Fire Effects Information System
• American Kestrel - Sea and Sage Audubon Library of Nature
• American Kestrel stamps - Stamps from around the world
• University of Michigan - American Kestrel - Museum of Zoology
• Female American Kestrel - Natural History of Orange County, California
• Male American Kestrel - Natural History of Orange County, California
• American Kestrel  - Northern Arizona
• Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management - Adobe PDF Document
• American Kestrel - Waunakee Intermediate School
• American Kestrel Photos - Greg Gothard - Golden Gate Raptor Observatory
• Building a Home for Kestrels - Nova Scotia Conservation
• American Kestrel - USGS
• American Kestrel - The Hawk Conservancy, UK
• American Kestrel - Sound File
• The American Kestrel - Marcel Granger
• American Kestrel - High Desert Museum, Bend Oregon
• American Kestrel - Summer distribution map
• Nest Structures, Feeders and Blinds - Kestrel box plans
• American Kestrel - Birds of B.C.
• American Kestrel - Richard Van Vleck
• Raptor Research Foundation