We didn't know what type of bird this is, so I posted on the Cornell Lob of Ornithology Facebook page. But it was my own Facebook friends who answered: juvenile male American Kestrel!
I guess whatever it was that brought him to the ground next to our shop was his end. There is only one small window on the shop, but perhaps he hit it. This is the first kestrel we've seen, but I guess that doesn't mean there isn't a nesting site nearby. He was so pretty and I'm sad he didn't make it.
I started this post before I found that he had died and I hesitated about going ahead with posting it. Then I remembered how death is as much a part of observing wildlife as any other part and that living in the forest also means sometimes experiencing the deaths of the creatures of the forest.
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*And all she did was sniff it, look to me, and then continue on with her fetching. Good girl, Delia!
Ah, that's a shame. He's definitely a baby, just past pinfeathers. *Sigh* Glad you posted this, though. I've never seen a juvenile, outside of a birdcam (like the Cornell U Ornithology ones- check 'em out, they're really cool!) Kestrels usually hang out on power and phone lines, around here- keep your eyes peeled, you may see a young 'un one day soon. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, that might explain why he was there by our shop; our power runs just on the other side.
DeleteOh poor thing. Before you posted what the bird was I wondered if it was a Kestrel. They were a part of my study down at OSU. Good for Delia for not playing with the little injured bird and letting nature take it's course.
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