Common Nesting Birds

meet your neighbors

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American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)


Photo © Greg Wranic

American Kestrel Nestbox

Photo © NestCams

Kestrel Eggs

Photo © NestCams

Adult male (Northern)

Photo © Michael JD / Macaulay Library

Female (Northern)

Photo © Bryan Calk / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Northern)

Photo © Jacob Drucker / Macaulay Library

Female (Northern)

Photo © Jerry Liguori / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Northern)

Photo © Alex Shipherd / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Cuban)

Photo © Adam Bowley / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Cuban)

Photo © Yeray Seminario / Macaulay Library

Female (Cuban)

Photo © Noah Frade / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Hispaniolan)

Photo © Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Adult male (South American)

Photo © Alessandro Rômulo Carneiro / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Northern)

Photo © Matthew Pendleton / Macaulay Library

Adult male (Northern)

Photo © Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay Library

Male and female (Northern)

Photo © Jerry Liguori / Macaulay Library

Habitat

Photo © Tim Lenz / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Dave Herr / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Guillermo Funes / Macaulay Library

Calls

© Jerred Seveyka / Macaulay Library

Juvenile calls

© Paul Marvin / Macaulay Library

Calls (Hispaniolan)

© Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Calls (South American)

© Glayson Bencke / Macaulay Library

Calls (South American)

© Natxo Areta / Macaulay Library

When To Look

Source: Birds of the World

Where To Find It

Habitats

grassland

open woodland

town

Substrates

Nestbox or Birdhouse

In/On Building

Live Tree Cavity

Dead Tree Cavity

What You'll Find

Nest Type

cavity

Chick

Semialtricial

Clutch Size

3
5

Nest Height

32 ft
9 ft

Nesting Statistics

Incubation Period

28-32
days

Brooding Period

28-32
days

Useful Hints

  • Kestrels add no nesting material to their simple scrape nest within a cavity.
  • Rarely, kestrels will nest in the old nest of another bird species.
  • The male searches for possible nest cavities. When he’s found suitable candidates, he shows them to the female, who makes the final choice.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology