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American Kestrel

Falco sparveriusOrder: FALCONIFORMESFamily: Falcons (Falconidae)

American Kestrel Portrait
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General

American Kestrel: Smallest North American hawk, a dainty falcon with two distinct black facial stripes and rust brown tail and back. Male has slate-blue wings and black-spotted underparts. Female has rust brown wings, narrow tail bands, and rust brown-streaked underparts.

Range and Habitat

American Kestrel: Breeds from Northwest Territories and Alaska east through Maritime Provinces and south throughout most of the continent. Usually winters north to British Columbia, Great Lakes, and New England. Preferred habitats include towns, cities, parks, farmlands, and open country.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"klee-klee-klee", "killy, killy, killy"

Interesting Facts

 The American Kestrel is the most common falcon in North America.

 The females arrive first on their winter range and establish their territories in the preferred open areas. The males, arriving later are forced to use areas with more trees.

 Nestlings squirt their feces onto the walls of the nest cavity. The feces dry on the cavity walls and stay off the nestlings.

 A group of kestrels are collectively known as a " flight", " hover", and "soar" of kestrels.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for American Kestrel
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Falcon (Falconidae)_blue
Species Falco sparverius
Length9 - 12 Inches
Wingspan22.5 Inches

American Kestrel

American Kestrel: Smallest North American hawk, has two distinct black facial stripes, rust-brown tail and back, slate-blue wings, black-spotted underparts. Eats bats, rodents, insects, frogs, small reptiles, and birds. Alternates several rapid wing beats with glides, also hovers. Soars on thermals.

● Song: "klee-klee-klee", "killy, killy, killy"

● Foraging & Feeding: American Kestrel: Hunts in early morning and evening in summer, eating mostly large insects such as grasshoppers. During winter months, hunts throughout daylight hours and eats small mammals, birds, and amphibians.

● Breeding & nesting: American Kestrel: Female is promiscuous, mating with two or three males prior to settling with a single mate. Three to seven white or pale pink eggs are laid, usually in a tree cavity. Incubation ranges from 29 to 30 days and is carried out by the female; however, the male occasionally takes over incubation duties.

● Similar species: American Kestrel: Sharp-shinned Hawk is larger with rounded wings and different overall pattern. Merlin is larger with broader-based wings, lacks rust-brown tones on back and wings, has single moustache stripe mark, and strongly checkered underwings.

Flight Pattern

Soars on thermals., Several rapid wing beats followed by a glide., Often hovers on rapidly beating wings.
American Kestrel Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: American Kestrel: Breeds from Northwest Territories and Alaska east through Maritime Provinces and south throughout most of the continent. Usually winters north to British Columbia, Great Lakes, and New England. Preferred habitats include towns, cities, parks, farmlands, and open country.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight3.9 Ounces