The American Kestrel
BIRDS OF NANTUCKET
by Kenneth Turner Blackshaw

Back in the '50s we had Sparrow Hawks, Pigeon Hawks, and Duck Hawks. Alas they are gone now. But I'm just trying to get your attention. The names are gone, but these species of hawks still exist, thank goodness.

These birds are all falcons, our swiftest and most exciting birds of prey. Beginning birders learn that all falcons are hawks, but not all hawks are falcons. Falcons as a class have streamlined pointed wings and tapered tails.

Just a few days ago on our island's east end I heard some American Crows giving strange croaking calls, not their normal "caws." In the air I saw a crow rowing along, its head turned up towards a smaller, more delicate creature that climbed high before rolling over for another harassment pass. A moment or two later the crow calls changed to the strident cawing note used when they are mobbing something. Driven from its perch the American Kestrel rose again into the air followed by the earnest but rather inept crows. Quickly the tide turned with the little hawk driving the crows croaking into the trees.

Was this a game? Animal behaviorists would wonder. Crows see any predator as competition - something to be driven from their territory. Although a kestrel would seldom see an adult crow as potential dinner, it might take a chick or egg from the nest. Crows are programmed to keep their surroundings clear of potential enemies.

When the early European settlers arrived in North America they thought these little falcons resembled their familiar Sparrow Hawks from back home. Turns out to be a stretch, but then they called any rusty colored ground bird a "robin." The European Sparrow Hawk is actually an accipiter, not a falcon at all. Accipiters have rounded wings and a much different hunting style.

Back to the Sparrow Hawks, Pigeon Hawks and Duck Hawks - the American Ornithological Union changed Duck Hawk to Peregrine Falcon back in 1910. It took until 1983 for the Pigeon Hawk to become the Merlin and the Sparrow Hawk to become the American Kestrel. The Eurasian Kestrel is still considered a separate species but Merlins are Merlins all around the world.

American Kestrels are our smallest falcons. Males are smaller than a robin, just nine inches from beak to tail, females up to 13 inches. In birds of prey, the girls are always larger than the boys. Kestrels are also our prettiest hawks. Didn't expect a hawk to be pretty - did you?

The males sport the brighter colors. Working from the bottom up, they have a reddish brown tail with a black tip, and a brown back contrasting with bluegray wings. The throat and breast are light orange fading to white below. Both sexes have a black vertical bar down through the eye and then another one behind it more like a sideburn. They have a pair of ocelli, false eyes, on the back of their heads, perhaps to fool attackers into thinking they are watching for them. The females are browner, lacking the bluegray wings and the band at the end of the tail.

Often it is behavior or a call that will draw your attention to an American Kestrel. Frequently they hover into the wind on rapidly beating wings. If that doesn't catch your eye perhaps the call will catch your ear - a high pitched and, for me, a spine-tingling "killy-killykilly."

Kestrels hunt from a high perch like a wire or a pole. Hovering in the air provides them with a virtual perch where no physical one exists. Most of their food consists of insects like grasshoppers, but they will pounce on a small rodent or bird if the opportunity presents itself.

These little falcons are the only American hawks that are cavity nesters. Unable to excavate one themselves they most often use an abandoned woodpecker hole. A bird box designed for a Northern Flicker would be just a bit tight for an American Kestrel. They require a three-inch diameter hole for entry.

I mention bird boxes because this is a species that used to nest on Nantucket. At least in the eastern U.S. these charming little falcons are in trouble. Whether it is increased pesticide use to control the grasshoppers they eat or competition from other species they are becoming a rarer and rarer sight around here. In the '70s and '80s it was not unusual to get over 20 on one of our Christmas Bird Counts. Over the past ten years, the high count has been three.

From now through the end of October is a great time to watch for these little jet fighters of the bird world. Kestrels that have nested in southern Canada tend to follow the coastline as they head south. Many go all the way to Central America but as I mentioned above, a hardy few stick it out on our island through December, particularly if the snow cover doesn't linger.

George C. West creates illustrations for these articles.

Find more about Birding Nantucket on the web at http://k-blackshaw.com/BN/ BN.htm