AMERICAN KESTREL (FALCO SPARVERIUS)

Written by MMartin Schenker, Restoration Field Crew Manager

Small falcons frequent the Ventura River Preserve. Talons on wire, eyes dialed in, fixated on ruffles in bunchgrass. Movement. Dive! Elegant fast flight, fissured floor. A ferocious being. A fundamentally sound species. The American kestrel is native to Alaska and Canada through South America where it inhabits grasslands, openings in woodlands, exposed areas with nesting opportunities nearby. Living up to 14 years old, American kestrels are the smallest and showiest species around. The desired prey of American kestrels consists of smaller insects such as cicadas, grasshoppers, and beetles as well as smaller animals like voles, lizards, and smaller snakes. 

Their stability within Ojai is dependent upon healthy ecosystems with abundant arthropod diversity, which is reliant on a diverse palette of native plants. Transition zones between woodlands and coastal sage scrub provide this niche, where proper canopy cover and insect diversity overlap. As OVLC is active in restoring oak woodlands through succession of chaparral and grassland communities, American kestrels benefit from the diverse habitats incorporated into our restoration designs. We encourage you to take your binoculars out, sit still and quiet, and observe the diverse array of wildlife present in your vicinity. For it is within this realm of observing that we often find connection to the vast network of associations that surround us. 

Photo by Nathan Wickstrum. Location: Ventura River Preserve