If you look real close you can see what looks to be feathers in its claws.
Photo taken at Chaffee Crossing (Arkansas).
From Wikipedia: The American Kestrel is a small falcon. This bird was (and sometimes still is) colloquially known in North America as the “Sparrow Hawk”.
Another photo I took of a Kestrel: American Kestrel
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I see this bird almost daily where I work in Brampton Ontario! I have worked here for fifteen years and never seen this bird until this year! We do have a couple of Redtail’s at the other end of our yard (about 2 km’s away). I am fascinated with well all wildlife but especially birds of prey (raptors)! This is a beautiful bird and I don’t know much about it, so I have a couple of questions.
1. Is this actually an American Kestrel or a Sparrow Hawk or are they one in the same?
2. Is southern Ontario normally one of the regions where this species is found?
Because of this bird, I have found your website (and a beautiful site it is).
Please respond to my E-mail and thank you in advance.
Daniel.
Thanks Daniel for visiting my site and leaving a comment. The Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk are the same. Growing up I knew this bird as a Sparrow Hawk but it is a Kestrel. I am not sure if they are found in your area or not.
I don’t know what to think. It looks like a sparrowhawk; has the dark bands, one at the eye, the other at the ear, streaked breast. Second time I’ve seen it. I didn’t expect to see one in So. California, let alone in the desert area around Palmdale. Thanks for the terrific website!
I live in Pataskla, Oh. a suburb of Columbus. Thanks for your website. I noticed a pair of unusual birds sitting on a wire one day, and thought they were strange in color. One day as I was driving home I noticed one of thee birds sitting on the same wire. To my surprize it was plucking the hair off of a mouse. I immediately parked the car pulled out my binoculars and watched in awe as it ate the entire mouse. I knew it was some kind of bird of prey. And didn’t know what kind until I happened on your website. Thank you very much. My question is; it this a mated pair? and are they native to Ohio? Or just migrating?
Thanks Carl for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
Here is a great link with some facts on the Kestrel: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/lifehistory
The map on that site shows that this bird remains in your area year round.
Here in Arkansas we call this bird a Sparrow Hawk.