American Kestrel

One morning on a tall fir tree I saw a new bird:  American Kestrel .

A female American Kestrel

At a local bird society, I have once seen a couple of them close-up in a cage.  They looked very pretty.  Smallest and most common of our falcons (10-12"). 

They have two vertical black stripes on their face.  They bob their tails up and down after landing on perches.  Their foods are insects, small mammals, birds, and reptiles.  Since they like grasshoppers, they are often called Grasshopper Hawk.