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American Kestrel |
|
Falco sparverius |
| Description: 9 -12" A jay sized falcon, rusty tail and back, often seen hovering, Male has slate-blue wings, female has rust-colored wings, narrow tail-band, both sexes have dual black stripes on face | Habitat: Borders of woodlands, farmlands, open fields, pastures with scattered trees, marshes, suburban areas, grasslands, arid plains, Often seen perched on wires along roads in rural areas. Hunts on the wing, often hovering. Often pumps tail up and down upon landing. |
| Nesting: 4 or 5 white or pinkish eggs blotched with light brown, placed without nest in man-made or natural cavity | Range: breeds from Alaska across continent south to Mexico, winters north to Canada and south to tropics |
| Voice: high, shrill killy-killy-killy | Diet: mostly small vertebrates, some insects, occasionally birds |
| Notes: Smallest falcon, common, also known as "Sparrow Hawk," competes for nest site with other cavity builders, hunts on the fly |
| When present in Oklahoma: abundant throughout state during in fall, winter months, less in spring and summer |