American Kestrel

ANIMAL:
American Kestrel Falco sparverius

Type of Animal:
Falcon

Habitat:
Urban/suburban areas, fields, agricultural areas, deserts, tropical lowlands, grasslands, meadows, mountains, parks, longleaf pine sandhills, parkland, pastures, woodland edges, forests/forest clearings, farmland, plains, chaparral, savanna

Location(s):
N America, C America, Caribbean, S America (Guyana-Brazil border, N Venezuela, N & W Colombia, W Ecuador, W Peru, C Chile, most of Argentina, S & E Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, & Paraguay)

Appearance:
Smallest falcon in Americas, females larger than males, moderately long fairly narrow wings, males have blue-grey wings w/ black spots & white undersides w/ black barring, rufous back, belly/flanks white w/ black spotting, rufous tail w/ white/rufous tip & black subterminal band, females have rufous back/wings w/ dark brown barring & creamy to buff heavily streaked underside, rufous tail w/ narrow dark black bars

Food/Diet:
Insects, rodents, lizards, snakes, birds up to size of flickers, spiders, scorpions, frogs, bats, shrews, crayfish, worms, baby tortoises

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Not applicable

Lifestyle:
Solitary or monogamous pairs

Additional Info:

Called:
Male: Tiercel
Female: Falcon
Young: Eyas
Group: Pair
 
Weight:
Male: 2.8-5 oz
Female: 3-5.8 oz

Gestation:
1 month 

Life Span:
5 years in wild, 11-14 years in captivity

Height:
Male: 8.7 in
Female: 12.2 in

Body Length:
Male: 8.7 in
Female: 12.2 in

Tail Length:
Male: 4.3 in
Female: 5.9 in

Main predators of adults are foxes, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, raptors, ravens, crows, raccoons, cats, skunks, snakes, dogs, & bears. Fire ants prey on young.
 
Like other falcons, they don’t build own nests.
 
During courtship, male brings female gifts.
 
They’ll hunt in sit-and-wait mode and/or on the wing.
 
Cache uneaten kills in hiding spots to keep thieves away & save it for leaner times.
 
Sometimes called American Sparrowhawk, Grasshopper Hawk, Windhover, & Killy Hawk (after shrill killy-killy-killy call).
 
Most common N American falcon.
 
Females lay 2-7 eggs per clutch & young stay w/ parents for a few months. Siblicide is not uncommon & 60% of youngsters don’t make it to maturity (around 8 months) due to this as well as car collisions, direct killing, & predation.
 
Besides “killy” call, also have “chitter” call for activities like courtship feeding/mating/feeding of young & “whine” call associated w/ feeding.

Fun Fact(s):
They have excellent vision, being able to see UV light & being able to spot prey more than 328 ft away.
 
Nests known to be quite smelly.
 
Very common in falconry, especially for beginners.

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