The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon found in North America, and with the exception of the Seychelles Kestrel, the world. Like all members of the genus Falco, American Kestrels have a dark eye, notched beak and unfeathered legs.
Males have a rusty back, blue wings and a rusty-colored tail with a black terminal band.
Females have rusty wings, back, and tail, all marked with black barring. Both sexes have a dark vertical line running through the eye with white cheek and chin patches. The top of their head is blue with a rusty cap, usually brighter in males than females. American Kestrels are widely distributed throughout the New World. Their breeding range extends as far north as central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and extends south throughout North America, into central Mexico, the Baja, and the Caribbean.