The American Kestrel Discussion

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Meara
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The American Kestrel Discussion

Post by Meara » Tue May 01, 2012 2:55 pm

The American Kestrel is my favorite species of bird. They are known for being one of the smallest (if not the absolute smallest) species of birds of prey. Here is a little bit of information. I would love to hear opinions or interesting facts that others may have.
American Kestrels normally hunt by day. You may see a kestrel scanning for prey from the same perch all day long—or changing perches every few minutes. A kestrel pounces on its prey, seizing it with one or both feet; the bird may finish off a small meal right there on the ground, or carry larger prey back to a perch. During breeding season, males advertise their territory by repeatedly climbing and then diving, uttering a short series of klee! calls at the top of each ascent. Courting pairs may exchange gifts of food; usually the male feeds the female. Early in the pairing-up process, groups of four or five birds may congregate. You may see American Kestrels harassing larger hawks and eagles during migration, and attacking hawks in their territories during breeding season. Kestrels compete over the limited supply of nesting cavities with other cavity-nesters, and sometimes successfully fight off or evict bluebirds, Northern Flickers, small squirrels, and other competitors from their chosen sites.


Source: allaboutbirds.org

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Re: The American Kestrel Discussion

Post by CloeWolf » Thu May 03, 2012 6:38 am

I don't know much about Kestrels, but I certainly find them to be striking birds. I find all birds of prey interesting, and was happy to gather more information about them here!
I can't wait to find out more.
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Re: The American Kestrel Discussion

Post by Meara » Thu May 03, 2012 4:02 pm

I would highly recommend just browsing a wikipedia page or doing a little bit of independent research. A lot of simple facts and interesting tidbits of information are available without doing in-depth research. Here's another little excerpt for those who are interested.
The slender American Kestrel is roughly the size and shape of a Mourning Dove, although it has a larger head; longer, narrow wings; and long, square-tipped tail. In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips swept back.American Kestrels are pale when seen from below and warm, rusty brown spotted with black above, with a black band near the tip of the tail. Males have slate-blue wings; females’ wings are reddish brown. Both sexes have pairs of black vertical slashes on the sides of their pale faces—sometimes called a “mustache” and a “sideburn."


Source: all about birds

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Re: The American Kestrel Discussion

Post by Crupi » Fri May 04, 2012 2:27 am

To be honest with you I've never researched about any birds other than those which live in Australia - although I faintly remember watching a few documentaries about birds of prey when I was younger.

Speaking of the American Kestrel, I think they are beautiful birds. I found a photo of one in flight when I googled them up: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2147/2166 ... 2a2554.jpg. Such a small and swift creature. I sincerely mean this when I say thank-you for sharing this information, I was very intrigued after reading it.
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Re: The American Kestrel Discussion

Post by Meara » Fri May 04, 2012 7:37 pm

That was honestly one of the more beautiful pictures I've ever seen. Thank you for posting it. As I have been doing, and perhaps will make a habit of, here is my newest little information passage about the American Kestrel.
There are 13 species of Kestrels in the world, but the American Kestrel is the only one in the western hemisphere. There are however 17 sub-species of American Kestrel between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The American Kestrel was also the first falcon to be produced by artificial insemination and the first to be produced from frozen semen. It is also known as the Sparrow Hawk, Killy Hawk (for the unique sound of its call) or the Windhover (for its ability to hover in the air). The American Kestrel is widely viewed as the most "amusing" bird to watch for the way its flight maneuvers are almost like performances.


Source: http://www.birdingisfun.com/2011/09/ame ... -tips.html


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