• American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are the smallest and most common falcons in North America and they can be found year-round in Colorado.

• Males feature blue-gray wings, a white breast accented by dark spotting, and two distinct vertical black stripes on their white faces. Their tails are marked by a wide black subterminal band with a crisp white tip. Females are slightly larger and share a similar facial pattern, but are distinguished by their rusty brown wings and narrow dark banding across the tail. They are about the size of a mourning dove.

• They are non-migratory to partial migratory birds, moving around in the winter. Kestrels prey on insects (especially grasshoppers), small rodents, lizards, and birds.

• They can be spotted perched in trees as they search for prey or hovering with rapid wing beats as they zero in on prey. They are also capable of seeing ultraviolet light. This allows them to track prey by following urine trails, which glow a bright, visible yellow under UV light.

• They don't build nests, preferring to find tree cavities or nesting boxes. Both sexes incubate and produce 4-6 eggs per year.

• There are 17 subspecies adapted to unique environments across North and South America, and Kestrels are sometimes called “sparrowhawks”, but that is a misnomer as they are falcons.

• In 2025, HawkWatch professionals (sponsored in part by Denver Audubon) at Dinosaur Ridge logged 952 American kestrels flying north between March 1 and May 10. This is almost double the number spotted in 2024! This is also more than any other raptors observed during the count.

Sources: volunteer Leslie Dixon, Birds of Colorado by Stan Tekiela, Sibley's Field Guide to Western Birds of North America, Wikipedia