American Kestrel

Description:

The slender American Kestrel is roughly the size and shape of a Mourning Dove, although it has a larger head; longer, narrow wings; and long, square-tipped tail. In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips swept back. American Kestrels are pale when seen from below and warm, rusty brown spotted with black above, with a black band near the tip of the tail. Males have slate-blue wings; females’ wings are reddish brown. Both sexes have pairs of black vertical slashes on the sides of their pale faces—sometimes called a “mustache” and a “sideburn."

Habitat:

The Lee Creek area is located on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, approximately 12 miles west of Salt Lake City. Audubon manages the 305 acre Lee Creek Area as part of a larger complex called the South Shore Preserve. This roughly 300 acre area is managed by Audubon and is now a nature study preserve. Formerly the area was severely impacted. It is the only public access to the Great Salt Lake from Salt Lake County. It was first opened to the public in 2006 after some four tons of trash were removed and fencing installed. The native vegetation has returned and while there are some exotics, the overall percentage of native plant cover is remarkably high.