What is a Kestrel's Diet?

The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a bird of prey found throughout North America. The American kestrel lives as far north as Alaska, and many kestrels migrate south to Mexico and the Caribbean during winter months.

Summer

Amanda B. Yeager and Margaret C. Brittingham at Penn State University's College of Agriculture report that the summer diet of the American kestrel mainly revolves around insects. The kestrel eats grasshoppers, moths, caterpillars, beetles and crickets.

Winter

American kestrels that remain in North America during the winter must feed on small mammals and birds because of the lack of insects for feeding. They may eat frogs, small snakes, bats and lizards.

Considerations

The kestrel must consume between 20 and 25 percent of its body weight each day to survive, according to Yeager and Brittingham. When hunting small animals, the kestrel can take prey in the air or on the ground by grasping the animal with its talons and breaking its neck with the kestrel's hooked bill.