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Sparrow Falcon (falco sparvaius)

The American Kestral, also known as a “Sparrow Hawk” or “Mouse Hawk“ is really neither, it’s actually North America’s smallest falcon. Normally found in more open terrain, it can generally be seen hovering almost motionless in mid air, then darting to another location to hover some more, or suddenly swooping down to the ground after a field mouse, or some other prey. It builds no nest, but deposits its eggs in the natural cavities of high trees, often in the deserted holes of Woodpeckers, or in crevices in rocks or nooks about buildings, although out in the west, Kestrels will frequently appropriate a deserted Magpie’s nest as their own.

On one cool mountain morning, I happened upon the colorful male, (known as a Tiercel) that I painted in “High Country Kestrel”, sunning himself on a barn door of an old deserted farm. The farm, known as Ryan’s Ranch, is hidden away near an alpine meadow, in the upper elevations of San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. At this higher elevation, I was more than a little surprised to see this little falcon….Although I’ve come to understand that “expecting the unexpected” is what you come to realize when out in nature.

In this instance, I chose to do this particular wildlife painting with an extreme horizontal layout to accentuate and long strap hinge, the lengthy pieces of wood and the flowing wood grain that tend to take your eye to the kestrel, the subject of the painting….