“The American Kestrel is a member of the falcon family and is very common in Tennessee. Ussually seen "hover hunting" over feilds for mice. This small raptor is the most common falcon in North America."
ScientificName - Falco sparverius RANGE - North, Central & South America LIFESPAN - 11.5 years wild (17 captive)
DIET - Large insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. WEIGHT - 2.82-5.82 ounces LENGTH - 9 to 12 inches WINGSPAN - 20 to 24 inches
STATUS - Increasing with the deforestation of North America. PROTECTION - Not Protected
Perhaps the most colorful raptor worldwide, the American Kestrel is the most common and the smallest falcon in North America. It is found from Alaska, throughout Canada south through the United States, into Central America & South America. These small raptors will watch for prey from perches, such as trees or telephone poles. They also hover-hunt over areas where perches aren't available and drop down on their prey. Diets concists of small rodents, dragonflies, grasshoppers, lizards and small birds or hatchlings. Known predators of the American Kestrel are other hawks, falcons, owls and snakes. The American Kestrel nests in tree cavities, buildings and bird boxes as is and do not add additional materials to the nest. The femal lays 4 to 5 yellowish eggs that have scattered dark spots. These nests can be quite smelly as the parentsback up, raise their tails, and squirt feces onto the walls of the nest cavity to keep the nestlings away from the edge. The population of these birds has increased greatly with the historical deforestation of North America.
