Planet of Birds

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 22 abstract No abstract Steenhof, K. and B.E. Peterson. 1997, J. Raptor Res. 31(3):274-297. Download article download full text (pdf)

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 23 abstract Antibody-mediated immune function in adult and recently fledged (30 to 33 d old) American kestrels (Falco sparverius) was examined in birds exposed directly, or only in ovo, to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 1998, 9 mature male and 9 female kestrels were fed PCBs, whereas 9 females and […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 20 abstract Reports of birds exhibiting unusual incubation behaviors are perhaps not surprising, giventhe wide variety of physical properties that can elicit incubation responses in birds (seeBaerends and Drent 1982). Birds that normally are solitary nesters occasionally have beendocumented sharing the same nest site (Terres 1982, Fournier and Hines […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 6 abstract Bright coloration in birds is typically a sexually selected trait. Expression of suchtraits is sensitive to environmental factors, so they can function as bioindicators ofenvironmental contamination. Of particular value may be carotenoid-based colorationbecause it is commonly used as a social signal and these pigments have importanthealth functions. […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 15 abstract The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is widely distributed across mostof the United States and is one of the most abundant of all North Americanraptors. Two subspecies of kestrels occur in the southeast, F. s. sparverius andthe rarer F. s. paulus. Amanda Allen Beheler and John B. Dunning, […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 8 abstract The Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus), anon-migratory subspecies of the widespread American Kestrel, has declined tothe point that it is listed as threatened in Florida, the state in which it is mostcommon. We studied the nesting biology of Southeastern American Kestrels in1999 and 2000 at Eglin […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 19 abstract During 1983 and 1984 one adult member of 20 pairs of breeding kestrels was removedfrom the wild during the third week of incubation. We measured several variables, e.g., relative prey abundance, female body condition, territory size, amount of adjacent habitat, and time of removal at each experimental […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 3 abstract The degree of dimorphism between males and females has been examined in a number of raptors (Storer 1966, Reynolds 1972, Balgooyen 1976, Snyder and Wiley 1976), but few studies have reported the amount of dimorphism between mated pairs of birds. If the maintenance of a size difference […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 16 abstract An Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio) was found incubating her own egg and that of a Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) in late March 1995. Three owlets and the kestrels uccessfully hatched in early May; all appeared normal. The kestrel was not present in the nest box […]

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Science Article 18 abstract Although it is well documented that hatching asynchrony in birds can lead to competitive and developmental hierarchies, potentiallygreatly affecting growth and survival of nestlings, hatching asynchrony may also precipitate modulations in neuroendocrine developmentor function. Here we examine sibling variation in adrenocortical function in postnatally developing, asynchronously hatching […]