American kestrel (Falco sparverius)

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The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) has a light grey face with black stripes through and behind the eyes and is small in size (25-30 cm). Like merlins, the females are dark brown; however, the males are slate blue with rusty brown on the back and nape. Unlike other diurnal raptors, the kestrel is a cavity nester. The female lays two or three eggs in late May, incubating them while the male feeds her a variety of small rodents and insects. In 1982 and 1985, the NWT kestrels had very successful years for reproduction as the grasshopper populations were high. The young learn to fly at the age of 28 days. Although kestrels are also known as sparrow hawks, they rarely hunt birds. Kestrels are often seen perched on posts or tree limbs searching for prey or hovering over a prospective victim.

Kestrels are commonly seen along roadsides and, during fall, migrate south to overwinter in the southern USA and Mexico.