Birds · Falconiformes · Falconidae

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The American kestrel is the smallest and most colourful falcon in the Americas: the male has a chestnut back, slate-blue wings and a face with a strongly marked pattern of black moustachial stripes. It hunts insects, rodents and lizards from perches or by hovering. It nests in cavities, and its recent decline in North America, still without a clear cause, is one of the most debated puzzles in the continent's ornithology.

Weight

80 g – 165 g

Size

22 cm – 31 cm

Lifespan

17 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestDesertGrasslandInsectivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Temperate forest Desert Grassland

35countries 65parks10same family

Fun facts

It can see rodent urine: the urine of voles and mice reflects ultraviolet light, which the kestrel perceives, so it picks out the busiest trails from the air as though they were marked roads.
Its decline in North America is an open mystery: the population has fallen by more than half since 1970 without a single cause being identified, and everything from insecticides to the loss of nest cavities is under investigation.
It is one of the few falcons that hovers, beating its wings to hold position over a fixed point, like its European relative the common kestrel.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Grassland, farmland, roadsides, deserts and urban parks throughout the Americas
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 29 days
Litter / clutch size: 4.6 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falco_sparverius