Outdoors profile: American kestrel

Falco sparverius

Cool October mornings bring happy times for American kestrels. Big grasshoppers – one of their favorite meals – are moving slowly and are ripe for the pickings.

Kansas’ most vibrant bird of prey prefers open grasslands with a few trees. They’re uncommon in Wichita but easily found on power lines around most grasslands at the edge of town.

When cold weather kills most insects, their diet will switch to small birds and tiny rodents. Their ability to prey on the former earned them the common name of “sparrow hawk.”

Kestrels are found statewide. Homegrown kestrels, and those migrating southward from other areas, are currently in Kansas. The state’s population will probably dip as winter settles over the land.

This story was originally published September 26, 2014 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Outdoors profile: American kestrel."