American Kestrel
American Kestrel has held roughly steady: down 5% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the American Kestrel
North America's smallest and most colorful falcon, the American Kestrel hovers and hunts over open fields but has declined across much of its range.
- Size
- 8.5–12 in long, about 4.2 oz (22–31 cm, 120 g)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Large insects, small mammals, reptiles and small birds.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,225 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Falconidae · Birds of prey
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable American Kestrel Trends
No notable trend signals for American Kestrel. See the full index history below.
American Kestrel Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, American Kestrel is projected to fall about 16% by 2029 — from 0.70 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.59 (95% range 0.34–0.84). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±21.6%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.61 | 0.36 | 0.86 |
| 2026 | 0.60 | 0.35 | 0.85 |
| 2027 | 0.60 | 0.35 | 0.85 |
| 2028 | 0.59 | 0.34 | 0.84 |
| 2029 | 0.59 | 0.34 | 0.84 |
Where the American Kestrel Is Detected
BBS routes recording American Kestrel, sized by most recent count.
American Kestrel Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -55% | 1968 | 44 |
| Alaska | -49% | 1988 | 24 |
| Arizona | -40% | 1970 | 85 |
| Arkansas | -70% | 1969 | 33 |
| California | -71% | 1970 | 238 |
| Colorado | -29% | 1970 | 143 |
| Connecticut | -65% | 1972 | 14 |
| Delaware | -76% | 1968 | 11 |
| Florida | -22% | 1968 | 57 |
| Georgia | -41% | 1970 | 39 |
| Idaho | +13% | 1970 | 57 |
| Illinois | -19% | 1968 | 104 |
| Indiana | +35% | 1968 | 65 |
| Iowa | +110% | 1969 | 39 |
| Kansas | -69% | 1969 | 66 |
| Kentucky | +40% | 1968 | 56 |
| Louisiana | -18% | 1971 | 25 |
| Maine | -80% | 1968 | 60 |
| Maryland | -41% | 1968 | 63 |
| Massachusetts | -81% | 1968 | 27 |
| Michigan | -62% | 1968 | 94 |
| Minnesota | -77% | 1969 | 89 |
| Mississippi | -79% | 1969 | 19 |
| Missouri | +118% | 1969 | 84 |
| Montana | -30% | 1970 | 96 |
| Nebraska | +16% | 1969 | 61 |
| Nevada | +6% | 1970 | 47 |
| New Hampshire | -53% | 1968 | 26 |
| New Jersey | -88% | 1969 | 35 |
| New Mexico | -48% | 1970 | 83 |
| New York | -33% | 1968 | 110 |
| North Carolina | -82% | 1969 | 33 |
| North Dakota | -21% | 1969 | 48 |
| Ohio | +38% | 1968 | 79 |
| Oklahoma | -17% | 1969 | 59 |
| Oregon | +12% | 1970 | 117 |
| Pennsylvania | +85% | 1968 | 122 |
| Rhode Island | -84% | 1969 | 5 |
| South Carolina | -17% | 1974 | 15 |
| South Dakota | +26% | 1969 | 54 |
| Tennessee | +293% | 1968 | 41 |
| Texas | +37% | 1969 | 120 |
| Utah | -60% | 1970 | 106 |
| Vermont | -73% | 1968 | 25 |
| Virginia | -30% | 1968 | 52 |
| Washington | -12% | 1970 | 82 |
| West Virginia | -26% | 1968 | 49 |
| Wisconsin | -4% | 1968 | 95 |
| Wyoming | +41% | 1970 | 129 |
American Kestrel Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
American Kestrel Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 5% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.