The kestrel is the smallest American falcon. This colorful raptor, a diminutive, scaled-down version of its larger and more powerful cousin, the peregrine falcon, is common in both North and South America. Similar bars on back of head resemble a pair of eyes, discouraging predator attacks from behind.
Females show dark banding on wings and tail, and streaks on breast.
Flight characterized by 7 to 12 short, rapid strokes with pointed wings, a short glide, then another set of strokes. Hovering allows a kestrel to maintain a stationary position aloft, from which it can scan the ground below. When there is no wind, hovering is too energy-expensive, so the kestrel may perch on any elevated object, such as utility lines and poles, to search for prey. The male may put on a courtship aerial display of steep climbs and dives, and bring the female gifts of freshly killed prey. Four to five brownish, spotted eggs are laid in an unlined nest.