An injured American Kestrel
This beautiful male came to us with an injured wing.
After medical treatment and a recuperation period he was released back to the area that he came from.

• We try to release mature birds of prey in the same area that they were found so that they can re-join their mate.
  This improves their chances of survival since this is their chosen hunting and nesting area.

• The American Kestrel is one of the smallest falcons, about the size of a Blue Jay. Through out Ohio you can see Kestrels hunting along roadsides from telephone wires, trees and hovering over fields.

• Also known as the "Sparrow Hawk", it eats dragonflies, grasshoppers, most beetles, and caterpillars;
  small mammals such as mice and voles ; small birds, frogs, and small snakes.

• As you can see from the picture this small falcons is a blend of blue gray, white, black, cinnamon, rust, and browns. Males have blue or gray wings, while the females have brown or tan wings. The American Kestrel can be 9 to 12 inches in length with a wingspan of 20 to 24 inches. Their average weight is only about 4 ounces.

• The female lays 4 or 5 white or pinkish eggs in a natural or man-made cavity. The babies grow rapidly, leaving the nest in about 4 weeks.
  

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