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American Kestrel

© Fred J. Kane

American Kestrel Falco Sparverius

Other names people call the American Kestrel are the American Sparrow Hawk, Grasshopper Hawk and Windhover. Early pioneers confused the Kestrels with the American Sparrow Hawks. Because one of the insects on its diet is the grasshopper so the name, Grasshopper Hawk. Windhover is a befitting name as the American Kestrel will flutter over acreage and meadows, remaining unmoving for minutes overhanging in the air with rapid beating wings surveying the land for grasshoppers and mice.

Welcome to The American Kestrel! This is the place to acquire some knowledge about many people's favorite bird, the American Kestrel. In this essay, I will try to let you know what this extraordinary bird looks like, what they eat and where they nest. The American Kestrel is the slightest and somewhat congenial of American Hawks.

Where does the American Kestrels live? American Kestrels live in many different places. They live on the plain of the Midwest, pastures, burned out lands, and open fields. Occasionally people also see the bird in cities. They like to live in open ranges and try to discover unused nests, so they don't have to construct their own. Mostly the American Kestrel lives east of Rocky Mountains.

American Kestrels are carnivores. That means they eat meat. They consume mostly insects, but occasionally eat small animals to. The little animals include rats, mice, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Sometimes the American Kestrel targets small birds for food. They provide good services for man by consuming insects and mice. Most of the year they eat grasshoppers, crickets and other insects especially during the warm months. Also they eat caterpillars, beetles and some spiders. During the rest of the year in late fall and winter they target mice around fields, meadows, homes and haystacks.

The American Kestrels are similar in size to the American Robin. It can grow up to 11 inches long, and can have a wingspan of about 20 inches. They have claws or talons and a curved bill and that puts them in the falcon family. Their feathers are a beautiful rust color. They have no feathers on their feet, so you can tell that their feet are bright yellow.

The crown and back of the American Kestrel's head at about eye level is bluish around a bit of reddish-brown. On his sides and back of his neck he has yellow and white marks with blots of dark ash on each side of neck. On the back of his shoulders the