Species: Falco sparverius

<p>true - true - true - Northern breeding populations (Alaska, most of Canada, parts of northern U.S.) migrate south to the southern U.S. and Mexico for the northern winter, but breeding pairs farther south may stay together in the same area all year. Some temperate breeders migrate south as far as Panama and probably northern South America (Hilty and Brown 1986). In some areas (e.g., Pennsylvania and Maryland), breeders may be resident whereas the young migrate (Palmer 1988). Winterers begin leaving Florida in February (almost all are gone by April); in southern states east of Rockies there is much movement from at least early March into April, in northern states mainly mid-March to mid-April; on southern Canadian prairie most spring movement occurs in the last 3 weeks of April, continuing to mid-May (Palmer 1988). Migration in Costa Rica occurs mainly September-October and March-April (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Much movement of migrants in Canada and northern U.S. occurs in September, decreasing rapidly around mid-October; arrival in Florida begins in September, lasts well into October; arrives in southern Central America beginning in mid-October (Palmer 1988). In Minnesota and perhaps elsewhere in eastern and mid-western North America, the movement south peaks in September, coinciding with the migration of large dragonflies (specifically Green Darners, ANAX JUNIUS), which are preyed upon extensively by the migrating kestrels (Nicoletti 1996, Iron 1998).</p>