American Kestrel
The American Kestrel is a raptor and comes from the Falconidae family. It is a falcon from the Genus: Falco and Species: F. sparverius. This kestrel is one of the smallest species of falcon and shares this ranking with the Seychelles Kestrel.
The American kestrel is a permanent inhabitant of North and South America - meaning that it does not migrate seasonally unlike a lot of other bird species. This species of kestrel is not unique to the Americas and can be found in Chile, the West Indies and the Juan Fernandez Islands. This bird does not like areas that are heavily forested and therefore is not found in the Amazon region.
The American kestrel is mistakenly commonly referred to as a Sparrow Hawk, but its diet is nothing like that of the Sparrow Hawk - and they prefer to prey on small birds, large insects and small mammals.
The American kestrel is a popular bird with falconers, but being kept for sport, these birds lose the natural ability for hunting their preferred prey and instead may hone in on a pheasant or head for wooded areas (which their wild species do not) looking for prey, if not from their handler’s gloved hands and arms. The wild kestrel picks a sight high above the ground to give him the best advantage of being able to spot and kill prey.
The American kestrel has highly adaptable behavior and can survive almost anywhere just as long that it has access to open areas for hunting its prey. During the summer months, the kestrels hunt for food during the early hours of the morning and early evening, eating large insects the bulk of which is grasshoppers. During winter, they hunt during daylight hours and target small mammals, sandpiper chicks, scorpions, lizards and amphibians. These birds do their bit for we humans, by preying on rats and mice that we deem a nuisance.
American kestrels are found in a variety of different habitats including open fields, the suburbs, forest edges, parks, open areas on mountainsides but, they do need access to perches for hunting from whether they be natural or man made like telephone wires.
American kestrels are “cavity” nesters. They nest in holes in trees, rock cavities and cliff crevices and have adapted to breeding in nesting boxes put up by caring humans for their benefit.
The American kestrel is generally by no means considered a threatened species because within its own home range the birds can breed bi-annually. However, in Florida, these birds have been declared as “threatened” due to loss of habitat, insecticide poisoning, car hits and shooting. These small kestrels are also preyed upon by larger raptors. It is all part of a healthy, self-sustaining eco-system if not intruded upon by humans or affected by human behavior.
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