{"id":6801,"date":"2012-12-16T03:55:50","date_gmt":"2012-12-16T09:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=6801"},"modified":"2025-11-21T12:00:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T18:00:32","slug":"male-american-kestrel-lifting-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/16\/male-american-kestrel-lifting-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Male American Kestrel Lifting Off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale American Kestrel lifting off from a post – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm with 1.4x TC at 328mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

There is something about American Kestrels that speaks to me. They might be our smallest falcon in North America but they have big attitudes, fierce characters, and are terrific hunters.<\/p>\n

I was more than delighted to photograph this male American Kestrel<\/span><\/a> as he lifted off from a wooden post.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Kestrel photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is something about American Kestrels that speaks to me. They might be our smallest falcon in North America but they have big attitudes, fierce characters and are terrific hunters. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[152,511,1022,26],"tags":[4004,155,2663,11978,4199,4078,4279,6276,4892,4282,4062,373,8917],"class_list":["post-6801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-kestrel","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-kestrel","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-desert-island","tag-falco-sparverius","tag-falcon","tag-falcons","tag-kestrel","tag-kestrels","tag-lift-off","tag-male","tag-winter","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-male-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-7976.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1LH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2799,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/07\/20\/american-kestrel-male\/","url_meta":{"origin":6801,"position":0},"title":"American Kestrel Male","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The American Kestrel is our smallest falcon in North America but what they lack in size I feel they make up for in attitude.","rel":"","context":"In "American Kestrels"","block_context":{"text":"American Kestrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/falcons\/american-kestrel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male American Kestrel on Antelope Island after a snow, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-perched-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-7638.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-perched-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-7638.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-perched-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-7638.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-perched-winter-snow-mia-mcpherson-7638.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3957,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/01\/06\/a-preening-american-kestrel-friday-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":6801,"position":1},"title":"Preening American Kestrel ~ Friday Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"American Kestrels hold a special interest for me, they are North America's smallest falcon but what they lack in size they make up for in attitude. These falcons can be fiesty.","rel":"","context":"In "American Kestrels"","block_context":{"text":"American Kestrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/falcons\/american-kestrel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male American Kestrel resting on rabbitbrush, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-male-mia-mcpherson-4151.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-male-mia-mcpherson-4151.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-male-mia-mcpherson-4151.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/american-kestrel-adult-male-sign-mia-mcpherson-4929.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/american-kestrel-adult-male-sign-mia-mcpherson-4929.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/american-kestrel-adult-male-sign-mia-mcpherson-4929.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/american-kestrel-adult-male-sign-mia-mcpherson-4929.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31778,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/11\/05\/a-male-american-kestrel-fluffed-up-on-a-cold-utah-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":6801,"position":3},"title":"Male American Kestrel fluffed up on a cold Utah morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"While working on my new photo galleries I came across this image of a male American Kestrel fluffed up on a cold Utah morning taken back in the winter of 2010.","rel":"","context":"In "American Kestrels"","block_context":{"text":"American Kestrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/falcons\/american-kestrel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male American Kestrel fluffed up on a cold Utah morning in front of fog and the western slope of the Wasatch Mountain Rage.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-perched-mia-mcpherson-8073.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-kestrel-perched-mia-mcpherson-8073.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I was thrilled to have this female American Kestrel in my neighborhood and viewfinder after an overnight snow fell two days ago.","rel":"","context":"In "American Kestrels"","block_context":{"text":"American Kestrels","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/falcons\/american-kestrel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female American Kestrel on a snowy light, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/american-kestrel-adult-female-light-snow-mia-mcpherson-5862.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/american-kestrel-adult-female-light-snow-mia-mcpherson-5862.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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