American Kestrel - Falco sparverius

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

Male American Kestrel, Arica, Chile, February 2007 - click for larger image

The American Kestrel is possibly the most common New World falcon. It is found from Canada to Tierra del Fuego in almost all types of habitat.

It is often considered to form a superspecies with the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) but Sick states that this is not supported given the difference in the spinal bone structure.

Female American Kestrel, Roraima, Brazil, July 2001 - click for larger image

Note the distinctive head pattern with throat and cheeks white, a vertical black stripe below the eye, another behind the eye as a "sideburn" and a black spot towards the back of the neck.

Males and females have different plumage. Males show blue-grey wings while females have brown wings barred black.

Male American Kestrel, Roraima, Brazil, July 2001 - click for larger image

There is also a wide variety of plumage between the sub-species of which 17 are normally recognised.

The sub-species shown here are:
F. s. peruvianus: Photos 1, 8, 9 and 10
F. s. isabellinus: Photos 2 and 3
F. s. sparveroides: Photos 4, 5, 6 and 7
and F. s. fernandensis: Photos 11, 12 and 13.

Male dark morph American Kestrel, Soplillar, Zapata Swamp, Cuba, February 2005 - click for larger image

The very attractive sub-species F. s. sparverioides found in Cuba and the Bahamas also has 2 colour morphs.

Photo 4 shows a dark morph male; Photos 5 and 6 show a pale morph female and Photo 7 shows a pair composed of a dark morph male and a pale morph female.

There are illustrations in HBW, Volume 2, Page 258; Hilty & Brown, Plates 5 and VII; and Sick, Plate 8.

Female pale morph American Kestrel, Najasa, Cuba, February 2005 - click for larger image

Female pale morph American Kestrel, La Güira, Cuba, February 2005 - click for larger image

Male dark morph and female pale morph American Kestrel, Soplillar, Zapata Swamp, Cuba, February 2005 - click for larger image

Female American Kestrel, Arica, Chile, February 2007 - click for larger image

Female American Kestrel, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, January 2007 - click for larger image

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