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Project Noah Nature School
Falco sparverius
North America’s littlest falcon, the American Kestrel packs a predator’s fierce intensity into its small body. It's one of the most colorful of all raptors: the male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast elegantly with his rusty-red back and tail; the female has the same warm reddish on her wings, back, and tail. Hunting for insects and other small prey in open territory, kestrels perch on wires or poles, or hover facing into the wind, flapping and adjusting their long tails to stay in place. Kestrels are declining in parts of their range; you can help them by putting up nest boxes.
My dad had been inside a house that had been vacant for a while. Birds had begun to live inside the house, and so had this Kestrel. Don't worry, the little guy wasn't hurt. Just tired. He flew out a window after it was opened.
You can easily notice the thick, black bars on the head of this bird, which is something a red-tailed hawk would not have. The spots on the back, the blue on the wings, and the thick, black band on the tail are also things a red-tail would not have. This bird is also much smaller than a hawk would be as this is a falcon. Can you tell us why it is on the ground, in a corner, in a defensive posture like it is injured?
Spotted on Jun 21, 2014
Submitted on Jul 14, 2014
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