American Kestrel

This small falcon is sometimes called the "sparrow hawk" because of its ability to pluck songbirds right out of the sky. It is often seen hovering like a helicopter, flapping its wings quickly, waiting to dive and grab prey of insects and small mammals. You can usually spot one sitting on a telephone wire or tall pole above an open field waiting to glide and dive after its lunch. Kestrels can be found living far out in the wild or in open fields near cities and towns. Keep your eye on the wires.

The kestrel measures between 9 and 12 inches long and has blue-gray wings. You might spot it by looking for the easy to identify dark, black stripes that look like they are dripping from the eye. Kestrels have a rust-colored back and tail with a wide black band across the tail feathers. Their underside is a light tan with dark brown polka-dots along their side, wing and back in their mid-section.

Kestrels can be found across the United States, however, they nest in northern states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Northern Idaho, and Northern Washington and into all of Canada. They can be seen year round in the southern part of Wisconsin.