Dolly

Hatch Date: 2021
Sex: Female
Reason Non-Releasable: Retired falconry bird
Weight: 0.36 lbs
Joined TRC Team: July 2026
Favorite Enrichment:
Fun Fact: Female American Kestrels are 10-15% larger and heavier than males.

Dolly is a retired falconry bird from Wyoming and is enjoying her retirement as an educational ambassador. She is named in honor of Dolly Parton; there’s almost no one Dolly Parton hasn’t reached. Her Imagination Library has put free books into millions of children’s hands, and for 35 years she supported the American Eagle Foundation’s work protecting our national bird. Over her time with us, she’ll visit dozens of classrooms across the valley, building raptor literacy early, the way the Imagination Library built a love of reading. 

American Kestrels are the smallest and most common falcon in North America and have declined an estimated 40% since the 1970s. Dolly helps teach us about supporting raptor populations by placing nest boxes in our environment, keeping cats indoors, and reducing the use of pesticides. After all, American Kestrels are a natural pest control that helps manage prey and insect populations! American Kestrels have saved farmers hundreds of dollars by acting as natural pest control.

Photo credit: TRC Staff