Appearance: The American kestrel is a small raptor at about 10 1/2″ in length. They have blue/gray wings, cinnamon back with black bars, cinnamon tail with a black bar near the tip, and tan underneath with dark spots. The female is the same except she has reddish-brown underparts and a tail with dark bars. And, her underparts have reddish streaks.
Diet: Large insects, lizards, rodents, and small birds.
Feeder food: They don’t visit feeders.
Habitat: Open areas especially rural and suburban fields.
Nesting: American kestrels nest in an old woodpecker hole or some other natural cavity. They have 1-2 broods/season and 4-5 eggs/brood. Eggs are white-yellow or light brown with spots. Incubation is for 29-30 days and fledglings leave the nest at 28-31 days.
Migration: American kestrels are migrators.
Year-round range: All US states except Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine.
Breeding range: Canada and Alaska.
Winter range: While some American kestrels migrate south to southern Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico, many remain in their year-round range when the snow flies.
Range Map
