American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

HOW TO IDENTIFY:

* Length: 8.5 inches Wingspan: 21 inches
* Short, dark, hooked beak
* Small, long-tailed hawk
* Long, narrow, pointed wings
* Gray crown
* White cheeks
* Two black mustache marks
* Black spot at rear of crown on both sides
* Seen from below, flight feathers are pale with dark barring
* Juveniles and immature females like adult female

Adult male:

* Rust patch on crown
* Rust nape, breast, back and tail
* Rust tail has a broad black subterminal band and a narrow white terminal band
* Pale belly
* Blue-gray wing coverts
* Dark flight feathers with pale subterminal spots creating a 'string of pearls'
* Black spots on scapulars, wing coverts and flanks

Adult female:

* Pale buff breast streaked with brown
* Rust-brown nape, back and wing coverts
* Back and wing coverts barred heavily with black
* Rust-brown tail with numerous dark bars of even width and a narrow white terminal band

Immature male:

* Barred rust-brown back barred heavily with black
* Streaked breast

Similar species:

Sharp-shinned Hawk is of similar size, but has rounded wings and much different patterning. Merlin is larger with broader-based wings, lacks rust tones to back and wing coverts, has a single mustache mark and strongly checkered underwings.