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ABOUT THE AMERICAN KESTREL
http://peregrinefalcon-bcaw.net/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=47
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Author:  Catbird [ Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:27 pm ]
Post subject:  ABOUT THE AMERICAN KESTREL

BASIC INFORMATION ON AMERICAN KESTRELS

Here's some basic information on American Kestrels from the Xcel Energy Kestrel Cam site at Pawnee Station in Boulder, Colorado (http://birdcam.xcelenergy.com/kestrel.html#facts).

    * American Kestrels are colorful birds with distinctive double black markings on their white faces. Their backs are rust colored and their heads have blue plumage. Male kestrels have grayish blue wings while the females' wings are rust colored.

    * They are raptors - birds of prey.

    * As their name implies, they are found in the Americas, both North and South. Their habitat includes farm areas, prairies, wooded streams and deserts.

    * American Kestrels are frequently seen along roadsides, perched on utility poles. They need a perch to hunt and have the ability to hover, with their wings flapping, something other falcons don’t do. They also are speedy and can fly as fast as 40 mph.

    * For years they were called sparrow hawks. They were renamed because they are not true hawks, and are rarely called sparrow hawks anymore.

    * American Kestrels don’t make their own nests, but rely on empty magpie nests, cavities and holes in trees or cactus, nest boxes and niches in buildings.

    * Females will lay three to five, whitish, spotted eggs that require an incubation of about 28-29 days. Young kestrels will be ready to leave the nest 4-5 weeks after hatching.

    * They eat small rodents and insects, but also have been known to eat amphibians, snakes, other birds and worms.

    * The American Kestrel is the smallest species of falcon found in the Americas. Full-grown male kestrels weigh only about 4 ounces and measure 9 to 12 inches in length. Females are generally larger than males.

    * They don’t seem to dislike the cold and may winter over in their home territory while other birds are migrating south.

DISTINGUISHING MALE & FEMALE AMERICAN KESTRELS

The male American kestrel has an almost solid chestnut-brown back, while the female's back is a darker brown with lots of streaks. Here's a picture of the chicks from the first Nebraska clutch of 2009...a male is on the right, and two females are on the left.

Image

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