American Kestrel, Unable To Be Released Back In The Wild, Is An Educator For Wildlife At An Outdoor Nature Event Royalty-Free Stock Photography

This beautiful American Kestrel is part of a wildlife rehabilitation project. Unable to be released back into the wild, this bird now serves as a wildlife educator in a program that teaches us what it means to be wild. Kestrels imprint as hatchlings, and they are used by novice falconers as first birds, often. Once they`ve imprinted on a human, they think they are human, so releasing them poses a danger to the bird and humans alike. This Kestrel is an adult male, identified by the brown cap on its head and fewer black spots on its breast than you`d see in a female. You can see the bands on the bird`s legs and people in the background.