Content Syndication with RSS

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The animal on the cover of Content Syndication with RSS is an American kestrel (Falco sparverius). Though it is also commonly known as a “sparrow hawk,” because it occasionally eats sparrows and other small birds, this name does not accurately reflect the American Kestrel’s much more diverse diet. American kestrels also eat small mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. In the summer, or in warmer climates, their diet consists primarily of insects.

American kestrels are the smallest, most colorful, and most common falcons in North America. On avcerage, they are 8.5 to 11 inches long, with a wingspan of 19 to 22 inches, and they weigh between 3.2 and 6 ounces. Though males and females are similar in size, they differ in their markings and coloration. Both sexes have reddish-brown backs and tails and two black stripes on their faces. Adult males have slate-blue wings and are redder than females. Females are browner, with reddish wings and black bands on their tails.

Kestrels nest throughout North America in small cavities, such as tree holes, building eaves, or human-provided nesting boxes. The female lays between three and seven eggs, about half of which usually develop into healthy young. The off-white or pinkish eggs hatch after ...