American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Urban History

American Kestrel, once known as the sparrowhawk, is the smallest falcon in North America and a rare transient visitor to Seattle. In the mid-1990s, Ed Deal observed one successful nest on the Pacific Medical Center Tower on North Beacon Hill that fledged two. The main limit on urban nesting is probably the relative lack of open country for hunting. Predation by Cooper’s Hawks may be another limiting factor, although American Kestrels have successfully nested in other cities such as Philadelphia. Kestrels are seen each year in Seattle in open habitat such as Magnuson Park, Discovery Park, and Union Bay Natural Area (Montlake Fill). They are occasionally trapped at SeaTac Airport and relocated as part of the airport’s Raptor Strike Avoidance Program.

The North American kestrel population has dropped by half in the last 50 years. Kestrels are listed as endangered or threatened in four states and as a species of concern in 21 states. Causes of their decline are not well understood. Possibilities include loss of habitat and prey, exposure to pes­ticides, climate change, and increased predation by larger hawks.