Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Female American Kestrel

This female American Kestrel was perched on a weathered educational sign that depicted local wildlife in the area. I imagined that she wanted to be an ambassador for her species, giving hikers a real-life example of one of the birds of prey shown on the sign. She was very brave, albeit slightly coy, and allowed me to approach slowly. I snapped a few shots from about 15' away, then left her to her modeling endeavors.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2016
Date Uploaded: 11.2017
Photo Location: Encinitas, California, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D3200
Copyright: © Nicole ("Nicollet") Overby