American Kestrel

(Falco sparverius)

Conservation Status
American Kestrel
Photo by Ramona Abrego
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRN, SNRB - Unranked Breeding and Nonbreeding

 
  Minnesota

not listed

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

 
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

7½ to 8 in length

20 to 24wingspan

 
     
 

Voice

 
   
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Open fields, riparian woodlands, forest edges, grasslands

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Migration

 
 

Early March to mid-May and August to late October

 
     
 

Nesting

 
 

 

 
     
 

Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common to abundant migrant and breeder

 
         
 

Maps

 
 

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Class Aves (birds)  
 

Order

Falconiformes (falcons and caracaras)  
 

Family

Falconidae (falcons and caracaras)  
 

Subfamily

Falconinae  
 

Genus

Falco (typical falcons)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Brazilian Kestrel (Falco sparverius cearae)

Cauca Kestrel (Falco sparverius caucae)

Cinnamon Kestrel (Falco sparverius cinnamominu)

Cuban Kestrel (Falco sparverius sparveroides)

Eastern Caribbean American Kestrel (Falco sparverius caribaearum)

Ecuadorian Kestrel (Falco sparverius aequatorialis)

Guatemalan Kestrel (Falco sparverius tropicalis)

Hispaniolan American Kestrel (Falco sparverius dominicensis)

Juan Fernandez Kestrel (Falco sparverius fernandensis)

Little Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus)

Margarita Kestrel (Falco sparverius isabellinus)

Nicaguara Kestrel (Falco sparverius nicaraguensis)

Northern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius sparverius)

Ochraceous Kestrel (Falco sparverius ochraceus)

Peruvian Kestrel (Falco sparverius peruvianus)

San Lucas Kestrel (Falco sparverius peninsularis)

Short-winged Kestrel (Falco sparverius brevipennis)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Bobbi Johnson

 
 

Came today up the hill from our house.

 
    American Kestrel      
 

Ramona Abrego

 
 

Captive Bird

 
    American Kestrel   American Kestrel  
           
    American Kestrel      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

Camera

 

     
 
Slideshows
 
American Kestrel
Ed McVicker
  American Kestrel  
American Kestrel
JMC Nature Photos
  American Kestrel  
American Kestrel
Joshua Mayer
  American Kestrel  
 
About

Falco sparverius

 
American Kestrel
Craig A. Mullenbach
  American Kestrel  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Falco sparverius ¨cernicalo americano¨ macho voraz cazador
Carlos Gene Quiroz Gutierrez
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Sep 15, 2011

HABITAT:
Campos, praderas y zonas montañosas, desde la costa hasta unos 3.000 metros de altura ( 10.000 fts.) hacia la cordillera. También se puede observar de vez en cuando en zonas pobladas .

DESCRIPCIÓN:
Largo: 28 - 30 cms.

Macho adulto: cabeza con corona azul pizarra oscuro, nuca del mismo color con una mancha rufescente al centro. Manto y lomo café rojizo con estrías transversales negras. Garganta, pecho, abdomen y calzones blanco a amarillento sucio con manchitas negras longitudinales. Mejillas de igual color que la garganta con linea negra entre el ojo y el cuello y otra entre la zona auricular y el cuello. Cubiertas alares azul pizarra oscuro con manchas negras. La parte interna igual que el pecho. Cola rojo ladrillo con banda subterminal negra y gruesa. Patas amarillas. Pico negro azulado con base amarilla.

Hembra adulta: similar al macho. Se diferencia principalmente por las cubiertas alares de color rojo ladrillo con machas transversales negras; y por la cola sin la banda subterminal negra, pero con muchas bandas transversales oscuras y finas.

   
  American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
tomb0171
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Apr 9, 2010

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
* Family: Falconidae,
* Genus: Falco,
* Species: F. sparverius,
* Class: Aves,
* Type: bird,
* Diet: Carnivore,
* Average life span in the wild: In wild 3-5 years,"CAPTIVITY" Up to 14 years,
* Size: 9-11 in (23-28 cm) with a wingspan of 21-24 in (53-61 cm),(female),
* Weight: 3.9 oz (111 g), (Male),

** The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. This bird was (and sometimes still is) colloquially known in North America as the "Sparrow Hawk".

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Kestrel
or http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/id

   
  American kestrel video Falco sparverius video 00
wsfrodo1
 
   
 
About

Published on Mar 15, 2014

No description available.

   
  American Kestrel
Migration Productions
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 10, 2010

American Kestrels

   
  Banding Kestrel Falcons near Warren, MN
trftimes
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 22, 2012

Led by Heidi Hughes of Agassiz Audubon, which is located near Warren, volunteers band five baby American Kestrels.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Bobbi Johnson
5/2/2023

Location: Location: Silver Bay, MN

Came today up the hill from our house.

American Kestrel  
           
 
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