American Kestrel, female
Falco sparverius
American Kestrel · San Diego · 6 March 2026
A female American Kestrel in profile in San Diego in March, on a perch over open ground, which is where kestrels hunt across the whole of the Americas. The Californian birds are residents; the eastern ones come south for the winter.
The double black facial stripes - one below the eye, one further back on the cheek - are present on both sexes and are usually the fastest way to identify a perched kestrel at a distance, well before the wing colour that separates male from female is visible. The pair of dark spots on the back of the head are thought to work as false eyes, discouraging attack from behind by larger hawks.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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