The grounds of the Idaho Fish and Game regional office in Pocatello is home to various critters—cottontail rabbits, songbirds, a marmot, occasional deer, and even wild turkeys now and then. Right now, the office grounds is also home to an American Kestrel family: mom, dad, and three young chicks… more like teenagers, really.
Though they are fully feathered and nearly adult sized, the three young kestrel siblings are still learning the ropes from mom and dad, and they have chosen the front entry to the regional office as their classroom.
Kestrels are uniquely-marked birds, and are North America’s smallest falcon species. They eat a diverse diet of insects and other invertebrates, small rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs, and even bats. To help mom and dad kestrel with their shared jobs as protectors, teachers, and short-order cooks, Fish and Game personnel put up signs cautioning folks to keep their distance from these little raptors as they approach the building’s entry. No one wants to ruffle any feathers after all.
For added emphasis to this request, and in an effort to avoid any misidentification, one of the young birds decided last week to pose with the kestrel caution sign posted by the door (to the amusement of a customer).
There is no doubt we have young American Kestrels at the Fish and Game office in Pocatello, and it looks like they can read. Perhaps teenagers do know everything.
