Hi, I am called an American Kestrel and the smallest and the most common falcon in North America. Many people think I am a beautiful bird and I am the weight and size of a dove but with sharp talons and a hooked beak. I have cute creamy, white cheeks with two black patches on either side. Females have barred reddish brown upper parts including their backs, wings, rumps, and tails with several black bars.
We hunt mainly for small mammals or yummy insects, but sometimes I may be hungry for a small bird, snakes, rodents, ducks, small mammals and even lizards. You will find me in habitats of deserts, cities, farmland, meadows, and grasslands. I am living throughout the Western Hemisphere from Alaska, Canada to southernmost South America and even North America. When flying I do hover over my prey and I face toward the headwind when flying, this is called WINDHOVER. I have an unusual talent.
I am capable of seeing Ultraviolet light, which allows me to detect the urine trails of some of my prey. Then I follow their trail right to them for my yummy dinner! We nest in cavities of rocks on cliffs, or a bird nest, and even man made nest boxes. Females will lay 4 to 5 eggs usually from November to December, and then the eggs hatch into Chicks. These young Chicks learn to fly at the age of 40 days and will stay with their parents until they can hunt and survive completely on their own. I am a diurnal bird and that means I am active during the day, and you will hear me communicating with the sounds of TOOIT-TOOIT, or TOEE-TOOEE sounds coming from us. If you happen to see me, say hello, but I will probably ignore you, because I am still a bird, and we do get scared!
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