Issue Date: November, 2000
Printed By: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: Die cut 11.25
Color: Multicolored

 

With its slate blue and rust plumage, the kestrel makes a colorful and visually unique addition to U.S. postage stamps. A relative of the falcon, this small bird of prey is also known as a "sparrow hawk." Found throughout the United States, it usually makes its home in hollowed-out trees or nests deserted by other birds. The 1995 Kestrel stamp design was reprinted as coils in 1996. In 1999, the stamp was issued as a self-adhesive.