Female American Kestrel

Kestrels, also called sparrow hawks, are found throughout most of North America except for the very far north.  They are also the smallest bird of prey throughout the Americas, although smaller species exist elsewhere in the world.

As a falcon, the kestrel is strictly carnivorous and hunts for its meals.  Although they take small vertebrates such as small birds, rodents, and lizards, it seems the bulk of their diet is made up of invertebrates.  They are somewhat opportunistic in their habits as they will take what is available.  There is a seasonal variation in diet; in cooler months kestrels will consume fewer invertebrates due to their availability.  There is an interesting account of the diet on this website.

I have seen kestrels in Nevada, Alberta, and British Columbia.  The kestrel above was photographed on February 11, 2023 (2 days ago) in Kelowna, BC.  The lone female seemed to be comfortable in a local park high atop a small tree.  The modest pedestrian traffic did not seem to cause any discomfort and she tolerated my attempts to photograph her.  It was a sunny day and I first saw her backlit against the sky.  In order to get better lighting, I moved in a wide arc clockwise around her.  I ended up with a number of pretty good shots.  She looked right at me a couple of times but I saw no evidence of her discomfort.  I moved slowly and feigned disinterest by not observing her directly through much of my transition.  You can see some of the shots I got below.

I hope that a male comes a courtin' as they are more colourful and I would love to have a photograph of the pair.  The local farm provides ample nesting sites and the ponds in the area would ensure a wide range of food items.  You can bet that I will have photos should this turn out to be so.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com