Birdsong field guide
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
The American Kestrel is North America's smallest and most colorful falcon, easily identified by its petite stature and habit of hovering over open fields. It is a highly adaptable raptor often seen perched on power lines or scanning for prey in agricultural landscapes.
What it sounds like
A rapid, high-pitched, and piercing series of 'klee-klee-klee' or 'killy-killy-killy' notes.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- It is one of the few raptor species to exhibit strong sexual dichromatism, where males have blue-grey wings and females have rufous, barred wings.
- Kestrels can see ultraviolet light, allowing them to track the urine trails of voles and other small mammals on the ground.
- They are secondary cavity nesters, meaning they rely on old woodpecker holes or man-made boxes because they cannot excavate their own nests.
- When hunting in wind, they can perform a specialized hover called 'kiting,' keeping their head perfectly still while their body adjusts to air currents.
- Despite their small size, they are fierce competitors and will frequently mob much larger hawks and eagles to defend their territory.
Habitat
Open pastures, grasslands, deserts, parklands, and agricultural fields with scattered trees.
Range
Widespread throughout North America, ranging from the subarctic to Central America and across much of South America.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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