American Kestrel
Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q54800218" class="extiw" title="d:Q54800218"><span title="Scottish wildlife photographer">Charles J. Sharp</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
NameAmerican Kestrel
Common NameAmerican Kestrel
Scientific NameFalco sparverius
FamilyFalconidae
Wingspan (cm)56
Length (cm)26.5
Weight (g)122.5
Plumage DetailsMales have slate-blue wings, a rufous back with black bars, and a white belly with black spots. Their head is slate-blue with two prominent vertical black stripes on a white face. Females have rufous wings and back with black barring, and streaked underparts. Both sexes have a rufous tail with a broad black band near the tip.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations include a rapid, high-pitched 'killy-killy-killy' or 'klee-klee-klee' call, often given when agitated or in flight. They also produce softer 'whine' or 'chitter' sounds.
Primary Dietcarnivore
Primary Habitatsopen country, grassland, desert, agricultural fields, urban, suburban
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeWidespread throughout the Americas, breeding from Alaska and Canada south through the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, to Tierra del Fuego in South America. Northern populations are migratory, while southern populations are resident.
Identifying Featuressmall size for a raptor, colorful plumage (rufous, blue-gray, white), distinctive facial stripes (two vertical black marks on white cheeks), pointed wings, long tail, often perches on wires or hovers in flight
Description
The American Kestrel is North America's smallest and most colorful falcon, often seen perched on wires or hovering over open fields. It is a swift and agile hunter, preying on insects and small vertebrates. This bird exhibits sexual dimorphism in plumage.
