Bird of prey swoops into hearts of Minnesota Twins fans

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Step aside, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Apparently there’s a new fan favorite at Minnesota Twins baseball games.

A bird of prey took some of the attention away from the American League Central-leading Twins during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Target Field last week. A male American kestrel was spotted hanging out on the right field foul pole and swooping out to catch insects.

Check him out:

Apparently fans really love this guy. Check out the crowd response when he catches his prey in this one:

Cable network Fox Sports North has aired the footage often since the kestrel was caught on camera, with broadcasters analyzing the action. A Twitter account has also been opened for the bird, which is said to have been spotted again at the ballpark over the weekend.

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.