American Kestrel

The American kestrel is the smallest North American falcon. It is 9-12 inches in length with a wingspan of 21 inches. It has a rusty tail and back and two vertical black stripes in its face. It has a short, hooked bill; white cheeks; a long tail and long, pointed wings. The male has slate-gray wings and a spotted breast and belly. The female has rusty wings and streaks on her breast. The American kestrel is also known as the sparrow hawk.

The coloration of the feathers, however, greatly varies between the sexes. Males have blue-grey secondary feathers on their wings, while the undersides are white with black barring. The back is rufous in coloration, with barring on the lower half. The belly and flanks are white with black spotting. The tail is also rufous, except for the outer rectrix set, which is white with a black subterminal band.

The back of the female American Kestrel is rufous with dark brown barring. The wings exhibit similar coloration and patterning to the back. The undersides of the females are white with rufous streaking. The tail of the female is noticeably different from the male, being rufous in color with numerous narrow dark brown or black bars. Juveniles exhibit coloration patterns similar to the adults.

In both sexes, the head is white with a bluish-grey top. There are also two narrow, vertical black facial markings on each side of the head; one below the eyes and one on the rear portion of the auriculars.

The American Kestrel can be found in almost any habitat that has open areas for hunting and tall places for it to perch. The American Kestrel is the only North American falcon or hawk that nests in cavities. It makes its nest in tree cavities, under eaves, in woodpecker holes and in nesting boxes. The American Kestrel is highly adaptable behaviorally and lives just about everywhere, as long as there is some open ground for hunting and conspicuous places on which to perch (e.g., telephone wires).

The American Kestrel eats grasshoppers, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, dragonflies, butterflies, small mammals, sparrows and other small birds, reptiles and amphibians. It perches on trees and telephone poles looking for prey. It often hovers over its prey and then drops down on it. Unlike other falcons, the American kestrel often catches its prey on the ground.

In the summer, American Kestrels hunt in the early morning and evening, eating large insects (mainly grasshoppers). During winter, they hunt throughout daylight hours and eat small mammals (mice and sparrow-sized birds), sandpiper chicks, lizards, scorpions and amphibians.

The American Kestrel has three basic vocalizations - the "klee" or "killy", the "whine", and the "chitter." The "klee" or "killy" is usually delivered as a rapid series - "killy, killy, killy, killy" when the kestrel is upset or excited. It is used at the apex of the dive display, during fights with other kestrels, and after unsuccessful hunting attempts.

The "whine" may last as long as one to two minutes and may be single or treble. The more intense the situation, the more likely the "whine" will move toward the treble extreme. "Whines" are given during courtship feeding and copulation. The treble whine is heard from breeding females and fledged hungry young.

The "chitter" is the most frequent vocalization in male - female interactions. Its volume and duration depends upon the stress or excitement of the situation. It is associated with friendly approaches and bodily contact between the sexes during breeding season. Occasionally a "chitter" follows a "whine."

Calling occurs throughout the day. Nestlings at two weeks can produce all three vocalizations. Female kestrels tend to have slightly lower pitched and harsher voices than males.

The American kestrel mates from March to April to early June, depending on its geographic location. The female American kestrel may mate with two or three males before settling on a single mate. She lays three to seven eggs. The female does most of the incubation. The eggs hatch in about a month. At first, the male brings food to the female who then feeds the chicks. Later, the male will also feed the chicks. The chicks fledge in about 30 days but stay with their parents for a few weeks after fledging.

To build a Kestrel Nest Box go to: www.gcmna.com/Newsletters/WVOutdoors10-4.html