Often seen perched on telephone wires, along roadsides, in open country with short vegetation and few trees. This small falcon is familiar even to casual observers, but a look at population levels reveals a perplexing mystery: continent-wide, kestrels have declined by nearly half since the 1960s. Kestrels nest between mid-March and early June, raising about four chicks during a season. Sometimes they are seen hovering like helicopters above their prey. From a perch or hovering, they usually drop to the ground to snatch small mammals and insects.
In open country it is commonly seen perched on roadside wires, or hovering low over a field on rapidly beating wings, waiting to pounce on a grasshopper. From this vantage they hunt for insects (especially grass-hoppers and dragonflies), lizards and small mammals. In open country it is commonly seen perched on roadside wires, or hovering low over a field on rapidly beating wings, waiting to pounce on a grasshopper. Our smallest falcon, the kestrel is also the most familiar and widespread in North America. Kestrels are conspicuous, colorful, open-habitat birds of prey about the size of a Mourning Dove. Our smallest falcon, the kestrel is also the most familiar and widespread in North America. Amarillo Zoo has joined other zoos and conservation organizations around the county to provide nesting boxes to land owners to help slow the decline of the American Kestrel. Nests in cavities. Kestrels are found in open, grassy habitats – especially ones that have cavities for nesting and perches for hunting. In the Mid-Atlantic region, its population has declined 88% since the 1970s (according to data from the USGS Breeding Bird Survey). Because many old-growth trees and snags are being cut or cleared, and with the conversion of habitat to monotypic grain farms, these beautiful falcons have declined in some areas. The American Kestrel Partnership also provides monitoring opportunities for those interested in kestrel conservation. Kestrels in Delaware experienced more than a 60% decline between 1987 and 2012, leading to the down listing to their Endangered status.
What is the American Kestrel? North America’s littlest falcon, the American Kestrel packs a predator’s fierce intensity into its small body. American kestrels often perch on telephone wires at the edge of a field or other open area. It's one of the most colorful of all raptors: the male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast elegantly with his rusty-red back and tail; the female has the same warm reddish on her wings, back, and tail. American Kestrel Monitoring The smallest falcon in North America, the American Kestrel is listed as endangered on Delaware’s Endangered Species inventory. In flight, note long, narrow wings and square-tipped tail. The American Kestrel is a small species of falcon often seen around open prairie and agricultural lands. Today, the kestrel is listed as a threatened species. They are the only falcon or hawk on this continent to nest in cavities. Conservation and management. The Peregrine Fund’s American Kestrel Partnership is a network of citizen and professional scientists working to collaboratively understand kestrel demographics and advance kestrel conservation. The American Kestrel. The American Kestrel in Delaware. The American Kestrel is the continent’s most common and widespread falcon, but populations declined by an estimated 1.39% per year between 1966 and 2017, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.That annual trend corresponds to …
Conservation. While many raptors are increasing, the American Kestrel stands out as showing a long-term decline at the national level in Canada. Favourite snacks: Grasshoppers, dragonflies, small birds, mice and voles Interesting facts: American Kestrels are one of the only Ontario raptor species that can hover in midair; they do this to search for prey. ABC has been partnering with other conservation groups, private landowners, and government agencies to manage grassland and forest habitats for the benefit of landowners and native birds. In Delaware, the American Kestrel is listed as a State Endangered Species. American Kestrels are North America’s most plentiful falcon, guarding cityscape ledges or hovering over rural roadsides to hunt rodents and insects. Kestrels are birds of farmland, suburban, and urban areas.
Regeneration of marginal farmland, agricultural intensification and other processes leading to loss of open habitats mixed with trees are reducing suitable habitat for the species. Petite falcon roughly the same size as Mourning Dove, but with a larger head and wider tail. An American kestrel is the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America and is one of the best known, most frequently observed, and readily identifiable raptors in North America. Although the American kestrel is widespread, meaning they live year round throughout much of the United States, the northeastern kestrel population is declining.