The fossil avifauna of the tar seeps Las Breas de San Felipe, Matanzas, Cuba Author Suárez, William text Zootaxa 2020 2020-05-22 4780 1 1 53 journal article 21918 10.11646/zootaxa.4780.1.1 af0a7e60-adc6-4896-8544-63725501fa13 1175-5326 3856493 D6CC1683-8BF0-4ABF-ABFE-3EC63E66AE5C Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 American kestrel; Cernícalo Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 , Syst. Nat. (Ed.10) no.1, p. 90. Referred material. San Felipe I: Distal half of left tibiotarsus, MNHNCu 75.4758. Description. The known specimen does not differ from Falco sparverius sparverioides Vigors, 1827 , being smaller and less robust when compared with the nominative form F . s . sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 . Comments. The American Kestrel is a common permanent resident in Cuba , Isla de la Juventud , and some cays, where it prefers habitats with open areas ( Garrido & Kirkconnell 2011: 82 ). It has been previously registered for Cuban cave deposits ( Jiménez Vázquez 1997 ; Suárez & Olson 2001a ). As in Accipiter striatus fringilloides , remains of this kestrel of Cuba can be quickly distinguished from their continental equivalent by the smaller size.