Bird of the Week: American Kestrel

American Kestrels may be tiny, but they pack a punch. Bird Division volunteer Arlene Koziol photographed this beautiful male catching and consuming a vole that's almost as big as bis he is! Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are common falcons of open country throughout North America--we've even had them nesting at the museum--but some populations are thought to be in serious decline. The vole is probably a meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), an abundant rodent in the Chicago area, where this photo was taken in a local forest preserve.

All photos © Arlene Koziol (check out her Flickr page)