Diet
What do American eat?
Large insects and small rodents, taken from a perch or while hovering.
Falcons (Falconidae)American KestrelFalco sparverius
Spring and summer diet
- Grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and voles
Fall and winter diet
- Mice, voles and small birds
Best feeder foods
- None — hunts in open ground; a kestrel box is the draw
Perches on wires over short grass. A kestrel box on a pole or barn is often occupied within a season.
Where American need winter food
Regions where American are present in the cold months:
AlabamaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do American eat?
Large insects and small rodents, taken from a perch or while hovering.
What is the best food to feed American?
None — hunts in open ground; a kestrel box is the draw.
What do American eat in winter?
Mice, voles and small birds.
Sources
- American Kestrel — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- American Kestrel life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- American Kestrel — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.