American Kestrel Falco sparverius Linnaeus    Field Guide IDs: NG-122; G-80; PE-162; PW-pl 16; AE-pl 314; AW-pI 331; AM(I)-256 Nest Location Nest Type Eggs & Mating System Dev. & Parental Care Primary & 2ndary Diet.. Foraging Strategy F -M I: 29-31 DAYS SEMIALTRICIAL 2 12 feet - 80 feet CLIFF 4-5 (3-7) MONOG? F: 30-31 DAYS MF SMALL VERTS SMALL MAMMALS HAWKS SWOOPS BREEDING: Open or partly open habitats with scattered trees, also cultivated and urban areas. 1 brood, 2 in s and when small mammal prey very abundant. DISPLAYS: Male flies rapidly in wide circles above perch, bends quivering wingtips down, calls, occ joined by female before realighting on perch. Pair bow, female constantly calling. Desert populations incorporate courtship feeding. NEST: Little, if any, nesting material. EGGS: White/pinkish-white, marked with browns, occ lavender, occ unmarked. 1.4" (35 mm). DIET: Also occ birds. In desert, young eat only insects for first week, later also mice. Occ aerially forage for insects. CONSERVATION: Winters s to Panama. Readily uses nest box. NOTES: Often uses same nest for second brood; male feeds fledglings of first brood and incubating female. Caches vertebrates, usu in grass clumps. Competes with other hole-nesters for nest sites. Promiscuous matings occ occur before monogamous bonds form. In winter, individuals defend territories; females prefer habitat that is open and sparsely vegetated, males prefer denser veg. Formerly known as Sparrow Hawk. STANFORD. NOTES: Uncommon resident on campus, nesting in natural tree cavities, Acorn Woodpecker holes, and occasionally in buildings and foraging in fields habitats. One pair nested inside the old chemistry building on Lomita Drive, entering through a broken window! .....Similar Species: Merlin ESSAYS: Hovering Flight; Raptor Hunting; Hoarding Food; Size and Sex in Raptors; Courtship Feeding; Habitat Selection REFERENCES: Cade, 1982; Collopy, 1977; Mills, 1976; Mueller, 1977; Toland, 1985.