Scientific Name:   Falco sparverius

Length:   22 to 31 cm (8.7 to 12.2 in)

Weight:   The male typically weighs 80–143 g (2.8–5.0 oz), and the female 86–165 g (3.0–5.8 oz)

Wingspan:   51–61 cm (20–24 in)

Nest:   They generally prefer natural cavities with closed tops and tight-fitting entrances that provide for maximum protection of the eggs and young. Kestrels occasionally nest in holes created by large woodpeckers, or use the abandoned nests of other birds.

Eggs:   4-6, rarely 2-7. White to pale brown, usually spotted with brown and gray. Incubation is by both parents, usually 28-31 days.

Feeding Behavior:   Its diet typically consists of grasshoppers and other insects, lizards, mice, and small birds. The kestrel has also been reported to have killed scorpions, snakes, bats, and squirrels.

Young:   Female remains with young most of time at first, while male brings food; after 1-2 weeks, female hunts also. Age of young at first flight about 28-31 days. Parents continue to feed young up to 12 days after fledging; later, these juveniles may gather in groups with young from other nests.

Range:   It also ranges to South America and is a well-established species that has evolved into 17 subspecies adapted to different environments and habitats throughout the Americas. Its breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico and the Caribbean. In winter, females may tend to be found in more open habitats than males.

Brief Description:   American kestrels have dark eyes, a notched beak, and bare legs. Males have a rusty back, blue wings, and a rusty-colored tail with a black terminal band. Females have rusty wings, back, and tail, all marked with black barring