American Kestrel Falco Sparverius by J

EC 1578 • December 2005 $1.00 American Kestrel Falco sparverius by J. Jones and S. Sells

id you know that the American easy to attract them to your area. Kestrels kestrel is the smallest falcon in live near open fi elds and meadows. They D North America and the second hunt in open areas and fi nd shelter in smallest falcon in the world? The aver- nearby trees. They are found throughout age length of the American kestrel is 9 to North, South, and Central America. 12 inches, about the size of a robin. Kestrels have some interesting antics A falcon is a bird of prey, or raptor, that make them easy to identify. Look for which in Latin means “to seize.” Raptors kestrels on telephone wires along open have very good eyesight, a hooked beak, fi elds. If a robin-size bird is bobbing its and eight very sharp talons, all of which head and pumping its tail, it might be help them hunt and catch their prey. a kestrel. Their calls sound like a shrill Kestrels are one of the most abundant “killy killy killy.” raptors in North America, so it should be Photo: Noah Strycker Photo: Pete Albers, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Photo: Pete Albers, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research American kestrels like to perch on fence A nest box can provide a home for kestrels if tree posts or tree limbs while searching for cavities aren’t available. prey.

Jenelle Jones and Sarah Sells, students in Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University. Species description

Kestrels feed mainly on insects, “ultraviolet” such as grasshoppers, beetles, and light, the world crickets, but they also eat small looks bluer to mammals and songbirds. They used them. Why to be called sparrow hawks because do they they are known to feed on small see in birds such as sparrows. blue? Kestrels fi nd their prey either by Wild- sitting on a perch and then darting life biologists believe the main rea- out or by hovering. To hover, they son is to help them hunt for rodents. fl ap their wings in a way that keeps Like all animals, rodents leave urine them in the same place. After a kes- marks, often near the burrows where trel has spotted its prey, it does what they live. Humans canʼt see the urine is called a stoop: it pulls in its wings marks, but to a kestrelʼs eyes the and dives to seize its prey. Kestrels urine looks bright because it refl ects have been clocked at 60 miles per ultraviolet light. Can you guess how hour while pursuing prey. this might help a hungry kestrel? The Male kestrels are more colorful bird focuses his eyes on the bright than females. Males have slate blue trail near a rodent burrow and waits on their wings and a rusty red back for the rodent to return. When the and breast. Females do not have kestrel sees it, he dives and snatches slate blue wings, but instead have up the rodent for a meal. the rusty red color along their back Females usually lay four or fi ve and wings. Female tail feathers are pinkish-white eggs with brown barred, meaning the tail is striped or lavender markings, although with black and rust color. Both sexes some eggs are white with no mark- have a white face with a double set ings. The eggs usually are less than 1 of black vertical stripes. The head 1 ⁄2 inch long. Both parents usually is slate blue with a small rusty red take turns incubating (sitting on) patch on top, which is more visible the eggs for about 30 days until the on the male. chicks hatch. The newly hatched American kestrels can see in the chicks have downy feathers and ultraviolet light range. Although closed eyes. They are immobile and humans see a wide range of colors, must be fed by their parents. After 1 there are many colors we canʼt see. about 2 ⁄2 weeks, they reach adult Other animals can see different size. They fl edge (leave the nest) ranges of colors. Because Ameri- after about a month. can kestrels can see what we call

2 Where they live and why Kestrels live wherever there are open They are secondary ﬁ elds and meadows such as parks, sub- cavity nesters, which urbs, forest edges, deserts, and low alpine means they donʼt habitats. make their own holes. During the winter, American kes- Instead, they use holes trels must ﬁ nd a place that is warm with that other birds (includ- enough prey. There are two types of ing woodpeckers) have migration a kestrel may do: altitudinal made. An old wood- and latitudinal. In altitudinal migration, pecker nest is a great kestrels come down to a lower elevation, place for a kestrel pair where there is no snow and prey is more to raise its young. If abundant. Other kestrels migrate latitudi- your area has old trees, nally to a warmer area farther south.

you may have kestrels, Photo: Dave Menke, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service American kestrels are one of the few because cavities are Young American kestrels leave North American falcons that are cavity more common in older the nest about a month after nesters, meaning they nest in tree holes. trees. they are born.

Creating habitat If your area doesnʼt good perches, but also plenty of open area have old trees, put- for hunting. Donʼt place the box in direct ting up nest boxes may sun or extreme weather. attract kestrels to the The box needs to be 20 to 30 feet from area. A schoolyard with the ground so that predators canʼt get to a lot of grass and trees the eggs. Itʼs also a good idea to place a is a great place for a kestrel nest box. predator guard under the nest box. You Natural habitat is always best. can make a predator guard by wrapping To attract a breeding pair of kestrels, a downward-cup-shaped piece of metal the nest box needs to be installed by early around the tree trunk about 2 feet below February at the latest, when kestrels usu- the box. ally start fi nding mates. For information Clean out the box at the end of summer on how to build a nest box, try searching after you are certain the kestrels are done for “nest boxes for American kestrels” nesting and the hatchlings have fl edged. online. Many websites have directions for Clean it again in late winter before the setting up a good nesting site for kestrels. adults nest. Kestrels do not make a nest Put the nest box in a low-traffi c area, inside of the box, but boxes do get messy away from loud human activity such as because of shells and food scraps. Do not car traffi c. Nail the box to a tree, post, or use chemicals to clean out the box; use a side of a building. It is helpful to place the weak vinegar solution and a scrub brush. box where there is a patch of trees with .

3 Fun facts

American kestrels are the smallest of the North American falcons.

Kestrels are also referred to as sparrow hawks.

They are cavity nesters.

Young kestrels learn to hunt by hunting in family groups.

The world looks bluish to kestrels because they can see ultraviolet light.

Kestrels can ﬂ y 60 miles per hour when Photo: Dave Menke, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursuing prey. Male kestrels are very colorful with their slate-blue wings and rust-colored back and tail.

Learn more! The Raptor Center, University of Min- Ehrlich, P.R., D. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. nesota, College of Veterinary Medicine 1988. The Birderʼs Handbook, A Field (http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/) Guide to the Natural History of North The Peregrine Fund (http://www. American Birds, the Essential Compan- peregrinefund.org) ion to Your Identiﬁ cation Guide. Simon Dickinson, M.B. (ed.). 1999. National and Schuster, Inc., New York, NY. Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Landau, D. and S. Stump. 1994. Living North America, 3rd edition. National with Wildlife. Sierra Club Books, San Geographic Society, Washington, DC. Francisco, CA.

Additional wildlife publications in this series are available on the OSU Extension Service website at http:// Oregon extension.oregonstate.edu (choose 4-H “Publications”). Wildlife Stewards

This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties. Oregon State Univer- sity Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials—without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Published December 2005.