Leonard Weber

October 28, 2024

Taking frequent long nature walks throughout the year, I see approximately 110 different bird species annually in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park. In mid-October this year, I saw an American Kestrel, a species that is not one that I spot every year; this is the 8th year in 20 years of records.

American Kestrel is a falcon, birds of prey characterized by fast flight and pointed wings.

As can be seen in the photo, American Kestrels are small. Bird size is usually measured from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail. Kestrels are about 10 inches long, slightly smaller than Blue Jays. It is the smallest raptor in North America.

Kestrels often hunt by perching in a location with good visibility, ready to fly down and grab its prey on the ground. They mostly eat large insects (like grasshoppers) and small mammals (such as voles and mice), sometimes small birds and reptiles.

It is a migratory bird, one of the species counted annually at the various hawk count locations. It breeds in much of the country, nesting in tree cavities. It is possible to see them at any time of the year here, but sightings are more frequent, it seems, during spring and fall migration. Detroit is at the northern end of the winter range.

(In this map, red is breeding season only, purple is all seasons, and blue is winter only.)

Though there are no roadside wires in Eliza Howell, these wires are favorite hunting perches for the little falcons.

The October sighting was the second of 2024; the first was in April. It would be great to see another of these attractive little hunters soon!