American Kestrel

An American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small, colorful falcon in the family Falconidae. It is the smallest and most common falcon in North America and is known for its graceful flight and its habit of hovering in the air while hunting. 🦅

The American kestrel has a slender body with a small head and a long tail. The male has a bright, rusty-red back and tail with a bluish-gray head and wings. The female is a more subdued reddish-brown with a series of dark bands. Both sexes have a pair of prominent black vertical stripes on their face.

American kestrels are found in a wide variety of habitats, including grasslands, open woodlands, and urban areas. They are carnivores and their diet consists of a wide variety of animals, including insects, rodents, and small birds.

American kestrels are a solitary species that are known for their ability to hover in the air, a behavior known as "kiting." They do this by beating their wings at a high speed, which allows them to stay in one place while they search for prey on the ground. They are also a very vocal species, with a shrill "killy killy killy" call.