Falco sparverius
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest and most common falcon in the Americas. Though it has been called the American "sparrow hawk", this now obsolete vernacular name is a misnomer; the American kestrel is a true falcon, while neither the Eurasian sparrowhawk nor the other species called sparrowhawks are in the family Falconidae, hence only very distantly related to the American kestrel. It has a roughly two-to-one range in size over subspecies and sex, varying in size from about the weight of a blue jay to a mourning dove. It is a very successful species, occurring almost throughout North and South America except for the Arctic fringes of North America, and the densest tropical Amazon rainforest areas; it has evolved into 17 subspecies adapted to different environments and habitats throughout the region. It exhibits sexual dimorphism in size (females being moderately larger) and plumage, although both sexes have a rufous back with noticeable barring. Its plumage is colorful, and juveniles are similar in plumage to adults.
The American kestrel usually hunts in an energy-conserving fashion by perching and scanning the ground for prey to ambush, though it also hunts from the air. It sometimes hovers in the air with rapid wing beats while homing in on prey. Its diet typically consists of grasshoppers and other insects, lizards, mice, and small birds (e.g. sparrows). This broad diet has contributed to its wide success as a species. It nests in cavities in trees, cliffs, buildings, and other structures. The female lays three to seven eggs, which both sexes help to incubate.
Its breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico and the Caribbean. It is a local breeder in Central America and is widely distributed throughout South America. Most birds breeding in Canada and the northern United States migrate south in the winter. It is an occasional vagrant to Western Europe.
The American kestrel is often used in falconry, especially by beginners. Though not as strong a flyer as many other, larger falcons, proper training and weight control by the falconer can allow captive American kestrels to become effective hunters of birds in the size range of sparrows and starlings, with occasional success against birds up to approximately twice their own weight. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maceió | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Arequipa | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Cochabamba | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 5 | Santo Domingo | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 6 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 7 | Natal | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | La Paz | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 9 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an American Kestrel sighting in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 280th most-seen of the 346 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an American Kestrel in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Kestrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
83rd of 93
Of the 93 parks where we can rate American Kestrel sightings, Iguaçu National Park ranks 83rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Jaragua National Park (Dominican Republic, about 40%), El Palmar National Park (Argentina, about 40%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Kestrel is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguaçu National Park (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
