Family Falcons, Caracaras (Falconidae)
Least Concern
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Taxonomy
French: Crécerelle d’Amérique German: Buntfalke Spanish: Cernícalo americano
Taxonomy:
Falco sparverius
Linnaeus
, 1758,America = South Carolina, USA
.
Subspecies and Distribution
F. s. sparverius
Linnaeus, 1758 – North America from Alaska E across S Canada to W Newfoundland, and S through USA (except SE) to W Mexico (except coastal region); winters S through Central America to Panama.
F. s. paulus
(Howe & L. King, 1902) – SE USA from South Carolina to Florida.
F. s. peninsularis
Mearns, 1892 – NW Mexico (S Baja California, Sonora and N Sinaloa).
F. s. tropicalis
(Griscom, 1930) – S Mexico to N Honduras.
F. s. nicaraguensis
T. R. Howell, 1965 – lowland pine savannas in E Honduras and adjacent Nicaragua.
F. s. sparverioides
Vigors, 1827 – Bahamas, Cuba and I of Pines, and Jamaica#R.
F. s. dominicensis
J. F. Gmelin, 1788 – Hispaniola.
F. s. caribaearum
J. F. Gmelin, 1788 – Puerto Rico and Virgin Is to Lesser Antilles (S to Grenada).
F. s. brevipennis
(Berlepsch, 1892) – Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire (Leeward Antilles).
F. s. isabellinus
Swainson, 1838 – lowland N Colombia, Venezuela (including Margarita I) and the Guianas to extreme N Brazil (Roraima).
F. s. ochraceus
(Cory, 1915) – Andes of NW Venezuela S through Colombia (E slope of C range, and E Andes).
F. s. caucae
(Chapman, 1915) – W Colombia (W Andes and W slope of C Andes).
F. s. aequatorialis
Mearns, 1892 – Andes of SW Colombia (Nariño) and subtropical Ecuador (S to about Chimborazo).
F. s. peruvianus
(Cory, 1915) – subtropical SW Ecuador, W Peru and N Chile (S to Tarapacá).
F. s. fernandensis
(Chapman, 1915) – Robinson Crusoe I (Más a Tierra), in Juan Fernández Is, off WC Chile.
F. s. cinnamominus
Swainson, 1838 – SE Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay#R and extreme SE Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) S to Tierra del Fuego.
F. s. cearae
(Cory, 1915) – tablelands from NE Brazil (S Maranhão, S Piauí) S and W to E Bolivia and Santa Catarina.
Descriptive notes
21–31 cm; male 80–143 g, larger female 84–165 g; wingspan 51–61 cm (all data from North America, but considerable variation throughout range, e.g.... read more
Voice
Rather silent when not breeding. Commonest call is a fast shrill “klee-klee-klee-klee...”, given by... read more
Habitat
Ubiquitous. Most habitats except tundra, from tropical lowlands and deserts (even below sea level)... read more
Food and feeding
Largely insects (c. 60%) and small vertebrates, mainly small rodents, up to 89 g (c. 40%) in nominate sparverius. Lizards... read more
Breeding
Timing somewhat dependent on latitude: Mar–Jul in North America; Dec–Jun in Cuba; Dec–Feb in Venezuela; may be double-... read more
Movements
Resident or sedentary over most of range. Race sparverius, from Alaska, Canada and N USA,... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Ubiquitous, and perhaps commonest New World falconid overall. Expanding range and increasing numbers in many regions;... read more
Has been placed in separate genus, either Cerchneis or Tinnunculus. Often considered a member of the F. tinnunculus group (see latter species). Race sparverioides appears distinctive, occurring as two morphs (pale and dark), but otherwise not different from other races. Seventeen subspecies normally recognized.