What bird of prey is about 8 inches tall grey with white oval spots has a single white band at the end of the tail and a brownish or chestnut belly?

Answer 1

The American Kestrel is the smallest and most common of the Falcon family, growing to a length of about 10 inches. It's often seen sitting on wires along field edges or hovering in place with rapid wing flutter as it hunts for small rodents and insects such as grasshoppers. The male has a russet brown body and tail which may be lightly streaked or dotted with black. The outer wing covers are blue/gray in color, as is the head band. The tail is russet with a black band across the lower portion and tipped by white at the end. The open tail will show a single black and white striped feather on both outside edges. The underside of the wings are pale and male Kestrel has a distinctive row of circular white spots outlining the trailing edge of each wing.