American Kestrel
American Kestrel
(North Carolina Priority Species)
The American Kestrel is a beautiful bird. A raptor, the Kestrel is sometimes seen hovering on an updraft and diving for prey. It is a year-round resident of North Carolina.
| Food | Nesting |
|---|---|
| The Kestrel eats insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. | This falcon can be found high up on the grassy balds, in open farmland and even in developed areas. |
| Habitat | Nest box location |
| The Kestrel nests in trees and buildings. Its nests can get pretty unsavory. The bird squirts its feces on the walls of the cavity and discards the remains of its meals at the bottom. It does not build a nest in the cavity. The female lays one to seven eggs. |
Place the nestbox on a tree in an open field, along the forest edge, or attach to farm buildings 10 to 30 feet above the ground. Nestboxes should be at least a half a mile apart |
