Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab & Education
Rescue, rehabilitation, and release of native birds of prey and promoting conservation awareness through interactive educational programs.
6320 Poplar St. Loves Park, IL 61111 RaptorLady@comcast.net 815.633.9193
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American Kestrel
Description
Pint sized predator about robin size
Sexually dimorphic with males having a grey coloring on the wings
and females having more spots on their chest and barring on tail.
Hunting Style
Hover hunting over prey such as bugs and small rodents.
Behavior
Active during the day.
Solitary hunters
Males will brood eggs as well as females.
Fun Facts
Also called Sparrow Hawks because they will hunt other birds at times.
Very feisty for their size.
Males and females have their distinctive coloration as juveniles.
American Kestrel Decline: What you can do to help.
Join the American Kestrel Partnership. Help to place nest boxes for these awesome birds and join in on the research and conservation. NIRRE has a kit that includes nest boxes and information on how to get started. Email us for more information.