American Kestrel - Sierra Club BC
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American Kestrel

CAN BE FOUND IN:

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius 

Appearance

American kestrels have a rust-coloured back and tail, two dark lines down the sides of their lighter-coloured face, as well as a spotted and streaked chest. The males have slate-blue wings, but the female’s wings are reddish coloured. 

Range & Habitat

Found from Alaska to Chile. Some kestrels migrate south in the winter, but many stay in one spot year-round. They are highly adaptable and live just about everywhere, as long as there is some open ground for hunting and conspicuous places on which to perch (e.g., telephone wires).

reciprocal relationships

The American kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America and weighs only 3 or 4 ounces. Kestrels lay three to seven eggs and their chicks can fly within a month of hatching. They often hunt as families to develop the skills of young birds. Kestrels have cute quirks and charms, one of these is they pump their tail for balance when perching.  

This falcon is an important predator in farmlands! Farmlands occasionally use pesticides to prevent insects, mice, or other pests from harming the croplands. However, American Kestrels prey on these pests naturally and maintain crops without using pesticides. In the summer, they eat large insects (mainly grasshoppers) and during winter they eat small mammals (mice and sparrow-sized birds), sandpiper chicks, lizards, scorpions and amphibians. Predators include great horned owls, golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and prairie falcons. 

status

COSEWIC: Not Reported 
CDC: Yellow 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.   

photo credit

Canva

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