The American Kestrel

In the Cove Gardens

You can be forgiven for mistaking then for hawks but these birds are in fact Kestrels, most likely the "American Kestrel".

You can often hear their plaintiff cry on the wind, then look up to see them sail majestically through the air on a search for prey just like an eagle or any other predatory bird.                                 

They are the largest native bird of prey in Saint Lucia.

They are beautiful to look at and can be very loyal friends. If they remain undisturbed and un-harassed they tend to stay in the same area with the same partner for as long as they live. And they mate for life.

If you watch carefully for a time whilst a pair are circling above, you might notice that they fly in a rough figure-of-eight pattern. The two of them in a slightly different sequence. Working together like this they can be fairly sure to cover all the ground below with their incredibly sharp eyes.

Kestrels, are a beautiful relative of the Falcons we sometimes see  in cities where they prefer to hunt and live around old abandoned or remote and quiet buildings. The also like quiet barns in the country side.

The owner at Calabash Cove likes them for their looks, and the entertainment provided for his houseguests, but there is another more practical reason. They make life miserable for the ever annoying blackbirds called Greater Antillean Grackles.

Why Hoteliers love these birds

The Grackles seem to be addicted to sugar, fake or real and they love to eat off your plate once you give them a chance to swoop in and take a piece of your breakfast scrambled egg or a french fried potato.

However the Kestrels like to plunder black bird nests when on the hunt and so keep their numbers at tolerable levels or encourage them to move away altogether. Then there are always the mice, they keep a control on.

Where to find these birds at Calabash Cove

Their favorite perch, from where to take off for long glides through the air above Calabash Cove is the Pimento tree next to the C-Bar. Especially in spring, when the foliage on the tree is not very thick they can easily be observed while you enjoy your sundowner cocktail. If you have the patience you can watch them putting on a hunting show chasing black birds, lizards and sometimes other small critters like mice. 

Please don’t trouble them, they are our friends and we hope they stay with us for many months and years to come.

"I got a mouse"