American Kestrel a.k.a Sparrow Hawk

[Guest]

Have seen one of these hunting nearby for a week or so and finally figured out what it was. It's a female American Kestrel, known to prey on Sparrows. It's actually in the Falcon family.

Ian

[Guest]

There quite awesom to watch, banking, turning and zig zagging. Theres a few around here, luckly not around the PMs. See some when I head to the deer lease.... every bird in the pasture knows when ones around!!

Chuck

[~Patrick~]

I've watched a kestrel in our neighborhood skimming all the two story houses very closely at dusk, trying to flush any roosting house sparrows or house finches from under the eaves. It is obviously something he/she has learned to do over time. I've seen it at work several times.

Patrick

[Glen Webb Jr]

I used to have kestrels nesting nearby about 5 or 6 years ago. They nested in an abandoned house close to 100 yards or so from the colony. Never had a problem with attacking the martins. The kestrels disappeared a few years ago but now there is a pair nesting nearby again. I always see them hunting in the yard and fields behind the house. Martins usually ignore them. When they see the female in the area, they will all shut up and watch carefully. They do not react to the kestrels like they do when the Cooper's hawks are in the area.

Yeah, kestrels are exciting aren't they? Beautiful creatures indeed.