The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) has to be one of my favorite small hawks. They are beautiful, colorful, and agressive as hawks usually are. Stokes Field Guide of North American Birds describes it as a small long-tailed falcon with long, narrow, pointed, and strongly tapered wings. Some strong identifying marks are the two vertical stripes on the white face. It is often seen hovering or perched on wires in open spaces, hunting insects, birds and small mammals. They are plentiful around the west Texas area. I captured this photograph at San Angelo State Park a year ago, after he led me on a merry chase through the trees and picnic areas. I finally caught up with him as he stopped atop a tree and let the wind blow his plummage.
American Kestrel
I hope you enjoy the photograph and you can click on it to see an enlargement. Below is our latest bird count from this morning.
Wednesday January 5, 2011 Total species 21
Northern Shoveler 12
American White Pelican 50
Great Blue Heron 1
Northern Harrier 1
Ring-billed Gull 100
White-winged Dove 6
Mourning Dove 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Black-crested Titmouse 2
Northern Mockingbird 6
Curve-billed Thrasher 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Canyon Towhee 1
Vesper Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 24
Northern Cardinal 6
Pyrrhuloxia 6
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Western Meadowlark 10
House Finch 18
House Sparrow 6
Happy Birding!!
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 