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The American kestrel is the smallest North American falcon. It is 9-12 inches in length with a wingspan of 21 inches. It has a rusty tail and back and two vertical black stripes in its face. It has a short, hooked bill; white cheeks; a long tail and long, pointed wings.
- What is special about a kestrel?
- How fast can a kestrel fly?
- How good is a kestrels eyesight?
- How rare is a kestrel?
- Do kestrels eat blackbirds?
- What bird do pigeons fear?
- Is Kestrel the fastest bird?
- Is a kestrel a raptor?
- Do kestrels eat bluebirds?
- Do kestrels drink water?
- Is a kestrel a hawk?
- What Colour is a kestrel?
- How do kestrels fly?
- Do kestrels eat frogs?
- Do kestrels nest in trees?
What is special about a kestrel?
Apart from their good looks, American Kestrels are also swift fliers with astounding aerobatic abilities. Kestrels, like a few other birds of prey, are very good at hovering. ... Kestrels, like some other birds, can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye. This ability helps them find and catch prey.
How fast can a kestrel fly?
How fast can a common kestrel fly? The fastest speed seen in the common kestrel is 39 mph (63 kph), and the bird manages to achieve the speed through its huge wingspan.
How good is a kestrels eyesight?
With extremely sharp eyesight, kestrels can spot a beetle from 50 metres away. They can even see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye. This means they can detect the urine trails left by rodents on the ground, helping the birds locate their prey.
How rare is a kestrel?
Despite a significant decline in the 1970s and 1980s, there are still 31,000 pairs of kestrels in the UK, making it one of our most common birds of prey. However they are less commonly found in Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland.
Do kestrels eat blackbirds?
Then I found that besides 22 species of mammals recorded as prey items, they will also predate upon skylarks, meadow pipits, great tits, collared doves, turtle dove, house sparrows, young song thrushes and blackbirds. He even observed woodpigeons being eaten, although he never actually witnessed kestrels killing them.
What bird do pigeons fear?
What Do Pigeons Hate? Pigeons hate the sight or presence of other domineering birds, such as birds of prey. This is what makes falconry such a successful deterrent in getting rid of pigeon populations. Additionally, pigeons do not like strong smells, such as cinnamon or hot pepper juice or spray.
Is Kestrel the fastest bird?
American Kestrels can fly at speeds up to 39 mph. Peregrine Falcons can fly horizontally at 55 mph, however, their dives have been clocked at over 200 mph!
Is a kestrel a raptor?
An American kestrel is the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America and is one of the best known, most frequently observed, and readily identifiable raptors in North America. Kestrels are conspicuous, colorful, open-habitat birds of prey about the size of a Mourning Dove.
Do kestrels eat bluebirds?
American Kestrels normally hunt by day. ... 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.
Do kestrels drink water?
Water Kestrels, like other birds of prey (Bartholomew & Cade, 1963), can derive the water they need from their food. They seldom drink when on a diet of laboratory mice and do not need to do so under normal conditions. Water is available at all times in the breeding aviaries and the birds bath frequently.
Is a kestrel a hawk?
Our most familiar and common falcon, the Kestrel is famous as the 'motorway hawk', often seen hovering over roadside verges. ... It is the only commonly occurring falcon in Britain that habitually hovers, although Lesser Kestrel and Red-footed Falcon in Europe also use this hunting technique.
What Colour is a kestrel?
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail.
How do kestrels fly?
Kestrels, known as 'wind-hoverers', are often spotted above motorway verges, apparently hanging in the air while seeking out small mammal prey. To maintain this posture, the bird flies into, and at the same speed as, the oncoming wind – the current of air passing over its wings provides the lift it needs.
Do kestrels eat frogs?
Whether this means eating frogs while in the marshlands, other birds when living in urban environments, or tugging worms from dirt in the cold of winter, the little kestrel is up to the challenge.
Do kestrels nest in trees?
Kestrels nest in holes in trees or on a ledge on cliffs or buildings and simply line the hole or ledge with sticks and straw. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
