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American Kestrel : American Kestrel Ak'a tamaani, many years ago, when my family and I were living in Scammon Bay, this little falcon showed up in early spring when everything was still white with snow and ice. By then we were pining to see new birds, especially those with some color on them. The kestrel, with its brilliant orange plumage, was just what the doctor ordered. I could tell by the lovely blue gray outer wing feathers that it was a male, and that he was in prime condition. I figured he had probably been blown off course during migration by one of our fierce Delta storms. Even with the possible danger of being the target of young hunters, I secretly hoped he'd hang around for a few days. He did, and we were all delighted. Once known as the Sparrow hawk, the kestrel is the smallest, most numerous and widespread of North American falcons. As farflung as maps show its range, however, non show it to venture into the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. It is has been seen on the eastern wooded margins of the Delta, and seems to be expanding its range in that direction. Probably because it has not historically been a nester in the Delta, I could not find a Yupik name for this little falcon. It does have an interesting scientific name, though, Falco sparverius, which means hook (falcate)-clawed sparrow hawk. It is partly misnamed because sparrows form only a small part of its diet, and it is not a true hawk. It is now referred to as the American kestrel because of its close relationship with the Eurasian kestrel, whose name derives from old French and refers to its "creaking" or "crackling" call. One of its common English names is killy hawk because of its call, "killy, killy, killy, killy." It also has some other interesting common names: grasshopper hawk, house hawk, rusty-crowned falcon, short-winged hawk and wind hover. The kestrel flies with rapid wingbeats and short glides over open country, or circles about, often stopping to hover above possible prey, usually a vole or large insect. It then swoops down with partly folded wings, grasps its victim, then flies up to a perch and eats it. Whatever it has eaten, about 22 hours later it will burp out a pellet consisting of undigested fur, bones and chitinous insect parts. If its victim was indeed a sparrow, the pellet would include feathers. It apparently gets enough moisture from its meat diet, because it rarely drinks water. When it comes to nesting time, males arrive first on the breeding ground. A few days later, the females arrive and courtship displays begin immediately. When the female makes her choice and becomes the resident Mrs., the relationship is final. In fact, she chases away all other females who try to intrude on her nesting territory. Monogamy reigns supreme (almost). As for copulation, yes sex, the resident pair does it a lot. One couple did it 690 times in a single season (under the watchful eye of a perverted ornithologist), all to fertilize only five eggs. This activity apparently cements the pair bond, since the two birds will usually remain together for life. Either sex will readily remate, however, if its mate disappears. Sometimes the pair may even winter together. An important part of a breeding territory is the availability of a nest site. Kestrels usually use old woodpecker holes or natural cavities in large trees. As with other falcons, they don't build nests but instead scrape a shallow depression in the base of the cavity. Who picks the site? You guessed it. Although pop offers potential cavities, it is mom who chooses among them. Four to five creamy pink, brown-blotched eggs are laid. If the first clutch is lost, a replacement clutch will be laid about 12 days later. Incubation is mostly by mom (but pop will sometimes substitute), and the eggs hatch in a month's time. During this period the male calls the female to the nest hole to feed her. For the first week after hatching, the male is the sole provider, but after that both parents bring food to the quickly growing young. Within another month the hatchlings become fledglings and begin their first awkward flight lessons. It is during this time that they are most susceptible to accident and mortality. In fact, 75% of kestrels die between fledging time and the end of the fall migration. Out of 558 recoveries of banded kestels, only 15 lived to ages 4-6 years. Taking everything into account, their average life span is about three years. And fully half of these deaths are human-related, caused by everything from pet cats to electric wires, high-rise buildings and cell phone antennae. One captive Canadian male kestrel, however, lived to 17 years old, which just goes to show how dangerous flight can be for these falcons. Lucky there are so many of them around to begin with (their numbers presently being estimated at about 1.2 million pairs). Whether it's on the edge of the Y-K Delta or in the Interior where my family and I now reside, you couldn't find a more handsome little falcon than the killy hawk. After a long white winter, the combination of their colorful plumage and aerial acrobatics give the air more personality, even a sense of spirit. Like swallows and other winged sky dancers, they represent for me an enduring source of poetry. May they live on forever. » List of Yupik Birds

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