The next time you’re outside in New York City, look up. You just might spot North America’s smallest falcon, the American kestrel. This tiny raptor — no bigger than a blue jay —usually frequents open grassland habitats, but it adapts surprisingly well to city life. Perching on light posts or hovering over grassy lawns, the kestrel uses its sharp vision to spot grasshoppers, mice, and other small prey from more than 100 feet away.
Like its bigger cousin, the peregrine falcon, the kestrel often nests on high building ledges; however, it prefers to nest in natural or man-made cavities.
Keep an eye out for this colorful, fierce bird at high perches around Marsha P. Johnson and Gantry Plaza State Parks, or flying low over the grasslands of Shirley Chisholm State Park. Sometimes a kestrel will even visit a baseball game at Roberto Clemente State Park.
Flannery James is a NYC Region NYS Parks Student Conservation Association Intern at New York State Parks. This essay first appeared at the State Parks & Historic Sites Blog.
Read more about birds in New York State.
Photos, from above:
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