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That Nest in BirdhousesAmerican Kestrel
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: sparverius
Gr. phalkon falcon
La. falcula, falcis small sickle (refers to talons)
La. forma form, shape, kind
La. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. sparverius sparrow, sparrow-like (refers to their prey)
La. -ius made of, belonging to
The kestrel is the smallest of the American falcons, ten or eleven inches long. Upper parts chestnut red; wings and lower part of back barred.
Top of head slate blue, black patches beneath the eyes and behind the ears. Brown barred white-tipped tail, under parts buff white with black spots on the sides.

Kestrels do not soar high like their hawk cousins.
With their incredibly keen eyesight they scan a broad landscape from a high perch. From there they can spot game from further away than seems possible.
Kestrels also fly swiftly and gracefully near the ground. When they spot something they hover motionless in mid air waiting for the right opportunity. Then suddenly they swoop down to the ground and arise with prey in their talons.
They build no nests. Females lay eggs in natural or abandoned cavities of high trees and deserted magpie nests.
They also deposit eggs in rock crevices and stone quarries and in holes high in river banks.
Sometimes raise their young in buildings on farms and often in cities in places like church steeples.
Females lay about four or five speckled eggs of varying colors. Eggs hatch after about four weeks of incubation and young leave the nest after about another four weeks.
The Kestrel Nest Box has an 8″ by 8″ floor and a 15″ inside floor to ceiling height. A 3″ diameter entrance hole is located 12″ above the floor.
Ventilation openings are in the floor and under the roof. The Kestrel Nest Box is the same as for Barrow’s Goldeneye and Screech Owls.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes.
A hinged roof can be secured in closed position with shutter hooks. Or a fixed roof and Side Opening Doors may be more convenient and safer when monitoring at heights.
Attach this nest box to a high tree at the edge of a forest area. Or on a post in an open area in a rural or city yard. It should be mounted between twelve and twenty feet high.
Place a bed of wood chips, not sawdust, on the floor.
Screech owls and Squirrels also may use this box.
American Kestrel
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: sparverius
Gr. phalkon falcon
La. falcula, falcis small sickle (refers to talons)
La. forma form, shape, kind
lLa. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. sparverius sparrow, sparrow-like (refers to their prey)
La. -ius made of, belonging to
The kestrel is the smallest of the American falcons, ten or eleven inches long. Upper parts chestnut red; wings and lower part of back barred.
Top of head slate blue, black patches beneath the eyes and behind the ears.
Brown barred white-tipped tail, under parts buff white with black spots on the sides.
Abundant and widespread. American kestrels range throughout North America and northern South America in forests, open prairies, farms, towns and cities. More than a dozen subspecies complete a world wide range.

Kestrels do not soar high like their hawk cousins.
With their incredibly keen eyesight they scan a broad landscape from a high perch. From there they can spot game from further away than seems possible.
Kestrels also fly swiftly and gracefully near the ground.
When they spot something they hover motionless in mid air waiting for the right opportunity.
Then suddenly they swoop down to the ground and arise in flight with prey in their talons.
They build no nests. Females lay eggs in natural or abandoned cavities of high trees and deserted magpie nests.
They also deposit eggs in rock crevices and stone quarries and in holes high in river banks. Near people they sometimes raise they young in buildings on farms and often in cities in places like church steeples.
Females lay about four or five speckled eggs of varying colors. Eggs hatch after about four weeks of incubation and young leave the nest after about another four weeks.
The Kestrel Nest Box has an 8″ by 8″ floor and a 15″ inside floor to ceiling height. A 3″ diameter entrance hole is located 12″ above the floor.
Ventilation openings are in the floor and under the roof. The Kestrel Nest Box is the same as for Barrow’s Goldeneye and Screech Owls.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes.
A hinged roof can be secured in closed position with shutter hooks. Or a fixed roof and Side Opening Doors may be more convenient and safer when monitoring at heights.
Attach this nest box to a high tree at the edge of a forest area. Or on a post in an open area in a rural or city yard. It should be mounted between twelve and twenty feet high.
Place a bed of wood chips, not sawdust, on the floor.
Installations at significant heights should be installed and maintained by professionals, carpenters, electricians, power line workers, etc.
Screech owls and Squirrels also may use this box.
American Kestrel
Birds | Birdhouses | Plans | Home
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: sparverius
Gr. phalkon falcon
La. falcula, falcis small sickle (refers to talons)
La. forma form, shape, kind
lLa. -idae appearance, resemblance
La. sparverius sparrow, sparrow-like (refers to their prey)
La. -ius made of, belonging to
The kestrel is the smallest of the American falcons, ten or eleven inches long.
Upper parts chestnut red; wings and lower part of back barred. Top of head slate blue, black patches beneath the eyes and behind the ears.
Brown barred white-tipped tail, under parts buff white with black spots on the sides.
Abundant and widespread. American kestrels range throughout North America and northern South America in forests, open prairies, farms, towns and cities. More than a dozen subspecies complete a world wide range.

Kestrels eat mostly mice and insects such as grasshoppers and spiders. They also eat snakes, lizards, small birds and rodents, however, they take few birds when insects and mice are abundant.
Kestrels do not soar high like their hawk cousins.
With their incredibly keen eyesight they scan a broad landscape from a high perch. From there they can spot game from further away than seems possible.
Kestrels also fly swiftly and gracefully near the ground.
When they spot something they hover motionless in mid air waiting for the right opportunity.
Then suddenly they swoop down to the ground and arise in flight with prey in their talons.
They build no nests. Females lay eggs in natural or abandoned cavities of high trees and deserted magpie nests.
They also deposit eggs in rock crevices and stone quarries and in holes high in river banks. Near people they sometimes raise they young in buildings on farms and often in cities in places like church steeples.
Females lay about four or five speckled eggs of varying colors. Eggs hatch after about four weeks of incubation and young leave the nest after about another four weeks.
The Kestrel Nest Box has an 8″ by 8″ floor and a 15″ inside floor to ceiling height. A 3″ diameter entrance hole is located 12″ above the floor. Ventilation openings are in the floor and under the roof.
The Kestrel Nest Box is the same as for Barrow’s Goldeneye and Screech Owls.
Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes.
A hinged roof can be secured in closed position with shutter hooks. Or a fixed roof and Side Opening Doors may be more convenient and safer when monitoring at heights.
Attach this nest box to a high tree at the edge of a forest area. Or on a post in an open area in a rural or city yard. It should be mounted between twelve and twenty feet high.
Place a bed of wood chips, not sawdust, on the floor.
Installations at significant heights should be installed and maintained by professionals, carpenters, electricians, power line workers, etc.
Screech owls and Squirrels also may use this box.
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