 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-1.3 (-1.88 - -0.723)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
American Kestrels were found in 392 atlas squares scattered across most of the province. South of the Aspen Parkland ecoregion, they were often found in squares containing treed riparian habitats, wooded coulees, or mature windbreak trees for nesting habitat. In the boreal forest, they were seen along roads or perched on power lines, taking advantage of man-made openings and perches in the forest. American Kestrels were seen as far north as the Tazin River and along the north shore of Lake Athabasca near Uranium City, where a pair was seen, and also the Charlotte River dam.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Our smallest falcon hover-hunts over open fields or perches on power lines as a "sit-and-wait? predator hunting for small rodents, birds, and insects (Smallwood and Bird 2002). The American Kestrel is the Americas' most numerous and widespread falcon (ibid.), nesting from western Alaska and most of Canada and the US south of the treeline through Mexico, much of Central America and the Caribbean, and in South America south to Tierra del Fuego. It winters from extreme southern British Columbia and, recently, southern Ontario, south throughout its breeding range.
American Kestrels prefer open areas for hunting, but they also need trees or buildings for nesting and shelter. During migration, they often use power poles or lines as perches.
The American Kestrel is widespread north to the southern fringes of the subarctic. In the boreal forest it is generally common in recent burns, where numerous snags provide nesting and foraging sites, and the open country offers easy access to rodents (Smith 1996). In the grasslands and parklands it varies from a common transient to an uncommon breeder (ibid.).
Original text by Michael Blom. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the American Kestrel in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. American Kestrel in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=AMKE&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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