“Beautifully erect, it stands on the highest fence-stake, the broken top of a tree, the summit of a grain stack, or the corner of the barn, patiently and silently waiting until it espies a mole, a field-mouse, a cricket, or a grasshopper, on which to pounce.... Some unlucky finch crosses the field beneath it. The hawk has marked it, and, anxious to secure its prize, sweeps after it; the chase is soon ended, for the poor affrighted and panting bird becomes the prey of the ruthless pursuer....”

John James Audubon knew in the early 1800's what some falconers are still discovering today: the “American Sparrow Hawk” really can catch birds!

This list is dedicated to hunting birds with American kestrels and other kestrel species from around the world.

If you are not a falconer and have found a young or injured kestrel, it is recommended that you take it to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Many countries, including the United States, have laws against keeping kestrels without a permit. If you are interested in becoming a falconer you must go through proper legal channels and a license is required first before a bird can be acquired legally.