It occurred to me yesterday that in all the years I’ve been a contributor here at Dawn Chorus, I have never made my namesake bird, the kestrel, the subject of a diary. I don’t know why it took me so long to think of it, but today I’m going to write about my favorite bird. I invite you to do the same.
I have many favorite birds, of course. I think we all do. But the American Kestrel is at the top of my list. Why? I think they are stunningly beautiful. It’s the combination of the colors, the lines, the barring, the shape and proportionality of all of these elements, and the fact that it is our smallest falcon, that draws me to this bird in a way distinct from all the others. I also love the fact that both the male and female are colorful and attractive — no drab, second-class status for the female of this species, no siree.
American Kestrels are pale when seen from below and warm, rusty brown spotted with black above, with a black band near the tip of the tail. Males have slate-blue wings; females’ wings are reddish brown. Both sexes have pairs of black vertical slashes on the sides of their pale faces—sometimes called a mustache and a sideburn, or so I’ve read.
The American Kestrel is roughly the size and shape of a Mourning Dove, although it has a larger head; longer, narrow wings; and long, square-tipped tail. In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips swept back. When perched, kestrels often pump their tails as if they are trying to balance.
The American Kestrel is the most common falcon in North America. They are found in many different types of habitats ranging from deserts and grasslands to alpine meadows. I frequently see them perching on telephone wires along roadsides, in open country with short vegetation and few trees.
In my experience, American Kestrels are easily spooked and fly off at any perceived threat. Not quite as bad as the Belted Kingfisher which will take off if you so much as blink at one, but the American Kestrel doesn’t hang around if it sees you taking notice. Some of the worst photos I’ve taken are ones interrupted by the subject flying away before I can hit the shutter release on my camera. Here’s a look at one such lousy photo in lousy light:
When breeding, kestrels need access to at least a few trees or structures that provide appropriate nesting cavities. American Kestrels are attracted to many habitats modified by humans, including pastures and parkland, and are often found near areas of human activity.
More interesting facts about American Kestrels drawn from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds website:
American Kestrels eat mostly insects and other invertebrates, as well as small rodents and birds. Common foods include grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, and dragonflies; scorpions and spiders; butterflies and moths; voles, mice, shrews, bats, and small songbirds. American Kestrels also sometimes eat small snakes, lizards, and frogs.
American Kestrels nest in cavities, although they lack the ability to excavate their own. They rely on old woodpecker holes, natural tree hollows, rock crevices, and nooks in buildings and other human-built structures. The male searches for possible nest cavities. When he’s found suitable candidates, he shows them to the female, who makes the final choice. Typically, nest sites are in trees along wood edges or in the middle of open ground. American Kestrels take readily to nest boxes. They do not use nesting materials. If the cavity floor is composed of loose material, the female hollows out a shallow depression there.
American Kestrels normally hunt by day. You may see a kestrel scanning for prey from the same perch all day long—or changing perches every few minutes. A kestrel pounces on its prey, seizing it with one or both feet; the bird may finish off a small meal right there on the ground, or carry larger prey back to a perch.
During breeding season, males advertise their territory by repeatedly climbing and then diving, uttering a short series of klee! calls at the top of each ascent. Courting pairs may exchange gifts of food; usually the male feeds the female. Early in the pairing-up process, groups of four or five birds may congregate. You may see American Kestrels harassing larger hawks and eagles during migration, and attacking hawks in their territories during breeding season. Kestrels compete over the limited supply of nesting cavities with other cavity-nesters, and sometimes successfully fight off or evict bluebirds, Northern Flickers, small squirrels, and other competitors from their chosen sites.
The American Kestrel is the continent’s most common and widespread falcon but populations declined by about 50% between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 4 million, with 39% spending some part of the year in the U.S., 10% in Mexico, and 13% breeding in Canada. They rate an 11 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score and are not on the 2016 State of North America's Birds' Watch List. Current declines stem from continued clearing of land and felling of the standing dead trees these birds depend on for their nest sites. The American Kestrel is also losing prey sources and nesting cavities to so-called “clean” farming practices, which remove hedgerows, trees, and brush. An additional threat is exposure to pesticides and other pollutants, which can reduce clutch sizes and hatching success. For kestrels in North America, a larger problem with pesticides is that they destroy the insects, spiders, and other prey on which the birds depend.
So now you know more than you maybe ever wanted to know about my favorite bird and namesake. What is your favorite bird or birds and what appeals to you about it/them? Share with us if you’re so inclined or feel free to use this as an open thread to talk about other birdy things or observations.
Happy Sunday and good birding.