American Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk)

This feather belongs to the smallest falcon in North America. The American Kestrel is a colorful raptor, with males sporting blue-grey wings and females showing more rufous tones. Both have two distinct black vertical 'mustache' stripes on a white face. They are known for their ability to hover while hunting for insects and small mammals.

Muted brownish-grey base transitioning into a warm rufous (rusty-red) wash toward the tip, featuring a distinct black subterminal band and a pale buff/off-white terminal fringe

Mixed: Pennaceous at the distal tip (interlocked); highly plumulaceous (fluffy/downy) through the middle and proximal sections to provide insulation

Extremely soft and silky, especially at the plumulaceous base; the terminal end is flat and slightly matte

Rufous coloration combined with a sharp black subterminal band and a light tip; small size and high proportion of downy barbules

Open landscapes including grasslands, meadows, deserts, parklands, and agricultural fields; often seen on wires or hovering

Common year-round resident throughout much of North and South America; northern populations migrate to the southern U.S. and Central America for winter

Important secondary predator that controls populations of grasshoppers, mice, and small birds; they rely on woodpecker holes for nesting

Mourning Dove (lacks the rufous and black banding combo), Northern Flicker (feathers usually have yellow or red shafts and bolder dots), Sharp-shinned Hawk (larger and lacks the rufous-to-black terminal pattern)

Kestrels are one of the few raptors that can see ultraviolet light, allowing them to track the urine trails of voles; they are also known to cache extra food in tree cavities or fence posts

Fair to Good; shows significant separation of barbs (fraying) likely due to environmental handling or being a molted specimen; the tip is somewhat worn but diagnostic colors remain