Same-sex American Kestrel pair observed in Texas

Two female American Kestrels exhibiting breeding behaviour have been observed in Texas.

The record came about in March and April 2020 in the north of the state, when two females were found to be showing signs of being a pair. They were both fitted with colour rings to aid study.

The same-sex pair of American Kestrels were observed copulating 45 times (Clive Daelman).

The birds were seen to have copulated more than 45 times and their position during copulation alternated, with the female with the code E/17 being above her partner in 56% of cases. They vocalised during 75.6% of their copulations, too.

Other typical breeding behaviours were described in this same-sex pair, including inspection of a nest site, territory defence and an apparent aerial courtship display. The two females did not generally adopt distinct behavioural roles, however.

A full summary of the observations was recently published in the Journal of Raptor Research.

In 2023, a same-sex pair of White Storks was observed in the Czech Republic.