This is the American Kestrel,
North America's smallest falcon,
and one of our most colorful
raptors.
Though it is a bird of prey, it's
only about the size of a bluejay.
Tiny for a falcon.
American kestrels live throughout
the Americas, with their
range stretching from Alaska and
Canada down to the southern tip
of South America.
Males are strikingly marked with
slate blue wings and a rusty back,
while females have a more
camouflaged reddish-brown plumage.
Kestrels live in open grasslands and
agricultural fields, where
they hunt using techniques like
kiting, searching for prey below.
Their diet is mostly large insects
like grasshoppers, along
with small rodents and the
occasional small bird or reptile.
Kestrels are in decline here in
Pennsylvania, mainly due to
habitat loss and fewer natural
nesting cavities.
But conservation efforts, like
banding, help researchers track
kestrel survival.
And using nest boxes can replace
lost tree cavities, giving these
falcons safer places to raise their
young.
With open spaces and a little
help from people, the American
Kestrel can once again thrive in
our skies.