This is Bird Note.

The American Kestrel, small, numerous, and widespread.

Watch for one of these North American falcons perched on a utility wire, bobbing its tail.

True to the name Falcon, this species is built for speed, with long pointed wings, often bent back at the tip. If a suitable perch

isn't available, American kestrels will hover above an open field. Facing into the wind,

they flap their wings and use their tails to hold their position. From aloft, kestrels watch for

insects, small mammals, and reptiles, which they overtake and capture.

Don't be fooled by their small size, equal to that of a robin.

These are fierce hunters.

Using their notched beaks, castrels quickly subdued their prey by severing the spinal cord at the neck.

The lack of suitable nesting cavities limits kestral populations in some areas, and this has led

people to install wooden nest boxes.

Many states now have kestral nest box programs, placing boxes along interstate highways.

On I-35 in Iowa, there's a kestrel box nearly every mile from Minnesota to Missouri.

The kestrels readily adapt to these boxes and return each spring to set up housekeeping.

You can find out more about kestrels, including photos and plans for a nest box on our website,

birdnote.org.

I'm Michael Stein.

Support for Birdnote is provided by Jim and Bearta Falconer from Seattle, Washington,

and generous listeners around the world.