American Kestrel

Falco sparveriusOrder: FALCONIFORMESFamily: Falcons (Falconidae)

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Open landscapes, Desert, Grasslands, Desert, semi

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

White or pale pink heavily marked with brown.

Number of Eggs:

3 - 7

Incubation Days:

29 - 31

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Uses little, if any, nest material.

Migration:

Migratory

Overview

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.

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.

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and 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.

Vocalization

American Kestrel: Alarm call is a quick, loud "klee-klee-klee" or "killy, killy, killy."

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.

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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.

American Kestrel

● 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.

● 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

Field Guide to Birds of North America