Eurasian Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel: Small falcon, spotted rufous upperparts, brown-streaked buff underparts. Gray head, black moustache stripe. Tail is black- and blue-gray banded with black tip. Feeds on large insects, small rodents and birds. Alternates rapid wing beats with a glide. Soars on thermals and updrafts.
● Song:
"kee-kee-kee"
● Foraging & Feeding:
Eurasian Kestrel: Feeds mostly on short-tailed field voles, but also consumes other voles, mice, shrews, small birds, insects, and earthworms.
● Breeding & nesting:
Eurasian Kestrel: Three to six brown marked, white eggs are laid in an abandoned nest, usually in a tree split or cavity, and lined with little if any nest material; nest may also be located on a ledge, cliff, or building. Incubation ranges from 28 to 32 days and is carried out primarily by the female.
● Similar species:
Eurasian Kestrel: American Kestrel is smaller and has two dark facial stripes.
● Range & Habitat:
Eurasian Kestrel: Native to Europe, Asia, and Africa; casual visitor to western Aleutians and Bering Sea region, accidental in fall and winter on the east coast from New Brunswick to New Jersey, and on the west coast to British Columbia. Found in open grasslands, hills, plains, and cultivated and semi-desert areas.