Talk:American kestrel

message: As a UConn physiological ecology student, I will be reporting on the American kestrel's use in scientific studies, particularly those pertaining to physiology. I've come across some really interesting information, and here are some sources I plan to use:
Fernie, K.J., G. Mayne, J.L. Shutt, C. Pekarik, K.A. Grasman, R.J. Letcher, and K. Drouillard. 2005. Evidence of immunomodulation in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to environmentally relevant PBDEs. Environmental Pollution 138: 485-493.
Fox, R., S.W. Lehmkuhle, and D.H. Westendorf. 1976. Falcon visual acuity. Science 192: 263-265 
Strasser, E.H. and J.A. Heath. 2011. Effects of developmental conditions on nestling American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) corticosterone concentrations. General and Comparative Endocrinology 173: 164-170. 
Villarroel, M., D.M. Bird, and U. Kuhnlein. 1998. Copulatory behavior and paternity in the American kestrel: the adaptive significance of frequent copulations. Animal Behavior 56: 289-299. 
Wilson, G.R., S.J. Cooper, J.A. Gessaman. 2004. The effects of temperature and artificial rain on the metabolism of American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 139: 389–394. 
Gavetern (talk) 02:10, 28 March 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Physiology and Scientific Study

message: I've made some changes to the description section, fixing redundancies and adding more detail. I also added three sources, so that should help bring the article closer to encyclopedic quality. 
I wonder about the use of the picture of the Kestrel on a phone wire. It's not a very good picture of a Kestrel, as non of the identifying marks can be seen and without those it might as well be a picture of a Peregrine or a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. If we could get a picture of a landed Kestrel, that would be much better. Maleficarum 16:54, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Untitled

message: thumb|right|200px|Same bird?
Falco sparverius (American Kestrel) exhibited at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucscon, Arizona - Is this a female bird? - Thanks, Leonard G. 03:36, 7 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Info requested (sex of bird shown) 

message: There is no reference given for the claim that the common name "Sparrow Hawk" was used because of confusion with the Eurasian sparrowhawk. I have seen equally plausible alternative explanations for the use of this common name in the past but the claim made here is not backed up with a citation/reference. Can anyone locate a credible source for the etymology of the word sparrowhawk when used in reference to the American kestrel? I'm not going to change the article right away but technically that claim should be removed if there is no citation. My impression is that the origin of the name is unclear at best. Many print encyclopedias do not make strict claims as to the origin of the name. Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Animal life does make the claim that they are sometimes called "grasshopper hawks" because they eat grasshoppers but no claim is made as to the origin of the term "sparrow hawk."
A possible alternative would be to say, "The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. This bird was (and sometimes still is) colloquially known in North America as the "Sparrow Hawk". This name is misleading because while there may be a superficial resemblance to an accipiter hawk, the American Kestrel is falcon. Falcons and accipiters are only very distantly related among the diurnal raptors.
If no reference to the etymology of "sparrow hawk" can be located we could also add the phrase, "The exact origin of the name sparrow hawk is unclear and the name is misleading . . ." Kirkmona (talk) 19:23, 10 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sparrowhawk etymology reference?

message: Below I am posting the current systematics section, which I plan to rewrite. I have been unable to find sources for the material currently in that section, and so I am removing it. It can be reincorporated into the article if sources are found. —outoffocus 01:11, 5 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Systematics section

message: Shouldn't proper authority citations be used? Were any subspecies described in different genera? —innotata 22:15, 2 November 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Subspecies 

message: I love this bird, and this article. Well done! One of the highlights of my 'birding experience' is hand feeding a young kestrel in the wild. I can still hear its "killy-killy" cry of thanks for the offering of red meat as it swooped to my extended hand. Is it possible to change the first image? It does not display the majesty and beauty of this marvelous falcon. It reminds me more of a wind-blown thrush, clinging to a branch. Editor:Leonard's image above (Info request, Jan 07) is much more representative. Or a display of the fantastic plumage as is used later in the article. Thanks...Buster7 (talk) 16:27, 3 December 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Hi, thanks for your suggestion, and I'm glad you like this article. I too have had opportunities to interact with kestrels (although not in the wild). The infobox image is something which I put a good amount of time thinking about, and I'll admit, the current image is far from perfect. However, I feel that most of the other images (including the ones above) do not accurately depict the size of the kestrel. As it is stated in the article, the bird is about the size of a thrush. But if someone were to look at the first photo above, with no other knowledge of the bird's size, they might imagine it as being about the size of a Peregrine Falcon, a very bad impression to give people. Also, the infobox image should ideally depict the bird in its natural habitat, and not with a handler. If you can find a different image that satisfies these 'criteria', please don't hesitate to try it in the article. —focus 20:51, 22 December 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: The current images (as of May 27, 2012) are fantastic. Thanks to whomever provided them. ```Buster Seven Talk 21:54, 27 May 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Image

message: The caption for the new image @ feeding reads "Female eating a dead bird in California". This could be mistaken to imply that the kestrEl eats carrion which is not the case It can easily be changed to "Female kestrel eating in California" or "Kestral with it's kill or some other reasonable caption. 1```Buster Seven Talk 13:07, 18 July 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: "...eating a dead bird..."

message: thumb|center|American kestrel in Central Illinois
I would like to replace the carrion eating kestrel. I know it is not eating carrion, it just looks like it. ```Buster Seven Talk 18:56, 10 September 2013 (UTC)
thread_title: A new Image available

message: The lead says that they're commonly used by beginners in falconry, but the "relationship with humans" section says they're "definitely not a beginner's bird". Is this a contradiction? Are beginners commonly using them when they shouldn't? 73.140.131.133 (talk) 13:53, 1 August 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Was introduced in this edit. I have only layman knowledge in this field, but my brief research finds many sources considering them as beginner birds, but also plenty of other sources highlighting the difficulties new falconers experience in using them. Perhaps the article could use some expansion in this area, but the original description seems more accurate (since it does not make a claim that they are "definitely not" for beginners), so I undid the IP's change. — Earwig talk 02:07, 8 October 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Contradiction in falconry use? 

message: The first line of the description states, "Under traditional classification, the American kestrel is the smallest raptor in America." Is this a clause, what did the author mean "traditional classification"? — cygnis insignis 19:07, 18 October 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  traditional classification 

message: Kitty hawkAnthony Jenkins. How About Those Raptors (the Birds)?//In The Hills, June 20, 2019. It was reverted by User:UtherSRG. There is another source: https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/BOCC/Non-Passerines/31%20Falcons/American%20Kestrel.pdf. What is the consensus for non-scientific names? Mykola Swarnyk (talk) 09:41, 4 January 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: Blogs are not reliable sources. The golden rule requires the rejection of anything that comes from poor quality sources. - UtherSRG (talk) 11:27, 4 January 2024 (UTC)
replies: text:  With the first source I can agree, the author is described as a local freelance writer and illustrator. Source can be considered as a "blog". But please look the second source: it is not a blog, it is an excerpt from the specialized book about birds: "Birds of the Central Carolinas Including Ornithological Records and Firsthand Accounts from the Civil War Era to Today. By: Donald W. Seriff, Richard O. Bierregaard, 2018. One of the authors Dr. R.O. Bierregaard is an ornithologist, Research Associate at Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. You can see it here: https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Birds_of_the_Central_Carolinas/9RpKtAEACAAJ?hl=uk. Would be glad for the feedback. Second, about the picture made and added by . As can be seen from edits history, Peter K Burian removed it as mistakenly named picture of Aplomado falcon. Later it was put back, but in fact it is looking like Aplomado falcon, and that file needs to be removed and renamed. Thanks for consideration. Mykola Swarnyk (talk) 00:35, 5 January 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: That book is self-published, so falls into the same category: not reliable. Your suggestion of Aplomado falcon doesn't seem correct - doesn't have the same look, nor the correct range. The image you question is located in Ontario, Canada while the Aplomado falcon has a range that is significantly more southern. - UtherSRG (talk) 16:57, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  Another common name