American Kestrel

Item

Title
American Kestrel
Identifier
WayFind015
Short Description
A Kestrel is North America's littlest falcon.
Is Shown on Map
True
Map Icon Type
animal
Is Shown in Gallery
False
Is Featured On Landing Page
False
Description
A Kestrel is North America's littlest falcon. There are many kinds of falcons around the world. Some are much bigger than a kestrel, and a few in other parts of the world are even smaller!
Exhibit Group
Animal Corner
Description (kid-level)
A Kestrel is North America's littlest falcon. There are many kinds of falcons around the world. Some are much bigger than a kestrel, and a few in other parts of the world are even smaller!
Description (teen-level)
The American kestrel is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. It has a wingspan between 20 and 24 inches and ranges in length from 8.7 to 12.2 inches. The male weighs anywhere from 2.8 to 5.0 ounces and the female from 3.0 to 5.8 ounces.
Description (adult-level)
Falcons are roughly divisible into three or four groups. The first contains the kestrels (probably excepting the American kestrel); usually small and stocky falcons of mainly brown upperside colour and sometimes sexually dimorphic; three African species that are generally gray in colour stand apart from the typical members of this group. The fox and greater kestrels can be told apart at first glance by their tail colours, but not by much else; they might be very close relatives and are probably much closer to each other than the lesser and common kestrels. Kestrels feed chiefly on terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates of appropriate size, such as rodents, reptiles, or insects.
Is Featured In Gallery
True