American Kestrel
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
At a Glance
The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America, as well as the most familiar and widespread. In open country it is commonly seen perched on roadside wires, or hovering low over a field on rapidly beating wings, waiting to pounce on a grasshopper. The kestrel nests in tree cavities; in places where there are few large dead snags to provide nest sites, they may rely on nesting boxes put up for them by conservationists.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Falcons, Hawk-like Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Coasts and Shorelines, Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Hovering, Soaring
Population
9.200.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Migratory behavior in the American Kestrel varies across the Western Hemisphere. In North America, northern individuals migrate far south in response to seasonal prey availability while the southernmost populations remain residents. In middle latitudes, individuals partially migrate and move short distances for prey. Juveniles may tend to migrate farther than adults. Females winter farther south than males.
Description
Female — length: 9–12.2 in (23–31 cm); wingspan: 22.4–24 in (57–61 cm); weight: 3–5.8 oz (86–165 g). Male — length: 8.7–10.6 in (22–27 cm); wingspan: 20–22 in (51–56 cm); weight: 2.8–5.0 oz (80–143 g). Relatively small and long tailed, with two sharp face stripes. Female is all red-brown above with narrow dark bars, including on tail. Male has red-brown tail with black tip, red-brown back contrasting with blue-gray wings.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Blue, Gray, Red, Reddish Brown, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Long, Pointed, Swept, Tapered
Tail Shape
Long, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Shrill killy-killy-killy; combinations of klee or killy, whine, and chitter. Stressed or excited birds often emit rapid klee calls, carrying far. Variations in whine calls are used by both sexes during courtship, the fledgling begging for food, and the adult when disturbed by humans at a nest site. Chitter calls are most often used by both the male and female during interactions and is considered friendly.
Call Pattern
Flat, Simple
Call Type
Scream
Habitat
Open to semi-open, such as grasslands, meadows, forest clearings, farmland, desert, and urban and suburban areas. The American Kestrel inhabits anywhere it can find adequate prey and some raised perches. During the breeding season, the American Kestrel may be limited to habitats that also provide appropriate nesting sites. In winter, females may tend to be found in more open habitats than males.
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Behavior
Eggs
4-5. White, cream, yellowish, or pale reddish-brown; usually with browns, grays, and violet-magenta spots. Incubation is mostly by the female American Kestrel, usually for 26-32 days.
Young
Hatchlings open beak, raise head, and peep. By first or second day of hatching, the American Kestrel blueish-black eyes are partially opened and by day 3 individuals peep becomes an immature klee. After one week, the skin on wings, shoulders, crown, and back turns bluish. Talons then become darker and after two weeks juvenile feathers have emerged. The young American Kestrel is active, whines while feeding, and emits klee or killy calls if disturbed. After 3 weeks, the young American Kestrel is well-feathered with a dark grey beak, pale yellowish legs and toes, black talons.
The female remains with the young most of time at first, while male brings food; after 1-2 weeks, female hunts also. Age of young at first flight about 28-31 days. Parents continue to feed young up to 12 days after fledging; later, these juveniles may gather in groups with young from other nests.
The female remains with the young most of time at first, while male brings food; after 1-2 weeks, female hunts also. Age of young at first flight about 28-31 days. Parents continue to feed young up to 12 days after fledging; later, these juveniles may gather in groups with young from other nests.
Feeding Behavior
Hunts mostly by watching from a high perch, then swooping down to capture prey. Sometimes, especially when no good perch available, hovers over fields to watch for prey. May pursue and catch insects, birds, or bats in flight. Individuals often specialize on one kind of prey.
Diet
Mostly large insects; grasshoppers are among the favored prey, but many other large insects are taken, including beetles, dragonflies, moths, caterpillars. Also feeds on small mammals (including voles, mice, and sometimes bats), small birds (sometimes up to the size of quail), lizards, frogs, earthworms, spiders, crayfish, and available prey.
Nesting
During courtship displays, the female American Kestrel flies slowly with stiff, fluttering wingbeats, with the wings held just below horizontal while the male repeatedly flies high, calling, and then dives. The male brings food for female, passes it to her in flight. The American Kestrel nests in cavities, most often in natural tree hollows, crevices, artificial nest boxes, sometimes in a dirt bank or cliff, or in woodpecker holes. In the southwest, they often nest in holes in giant cactus. Sites are usually 10-30 ft above ground but may be at any height.
Conservation
Conservation Status
The American Kestrel is the most common and widespread falcon in North America and is considered low conservation concern. However, numbers have been declining since 1966 due to habitat loss, less prey availability and nesting cavities.
Climate Threats Facing the American Kestrel
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
