American kestrel.

In North America, the kestrel is the smallest of all falcons. Basically the size of a mourning dove, it is commonly found perching on roadside powerlines. They are present in much of the continental United States year-round. They are continual residents of British Columbia's extreme southwest. I saw three of them near Pitt Polder (Maple Ridge) yesterday; the photo above was one of them. During the summer they can be found in Canada's mid-latitudes.

Kestrels are excellent at hovering. They may search for food from a lofty perch but will also hover over an area of interest giving it a thorough once-over. When spotted, they will dive onto their quarry with abandon. They can take smaller birds in flight and will also take large insects such as dragonflies on the wing. They often take creatures off the ground which include rodents, reptiles, large insects, frogs, and even earthworms.

They seem to prefer open areas and do not mind the presence of human activity. I have seen them on farms, golf courses, and even around large condominiums (below). They prefer to nest in cavities and will take nest boxes if snags are not readily available.

Males and females look similar except that males have lines of black spots on their breasts. You can see the difference in the image below. I was staying in Las Vegas at a large time-share resort and saw a couple of light standards covered with white bird droppings. I waited to see if the culprits would show up and it wasn't long before a pair of kestrels appeared. I kept an eye on them during the rest of my stay and was amazed by their flying antics and comfort level around people.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen