new kestrel house mount

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kalypso
kalypso's picture
new kestrel house mount

i would like input on if i have any chance of getting a kestrel if i mount the house in a ficus tree at 10ft height in a suburban neighborhood. there is a fruit tree and vegetable farm a half mile away. i live in peoria arizona, where the summers are very hot and dry

please let me know thanks

AKP-Matthew
AKP-Matthew's picture

Thanks for reaching out! Kestrels do nest in the greater Phoenix area, and we've had many partners report successful nesting in boxes in suburban neighborhoods, so there's certainly a chance you'll attract a pair. Your specific odds will depend on a number of factors—generally, the more nearby open space and the less human activity around, the better—but at least one kestrel pair successfully nested in downtown Chicago last year, so anything's possible. Just be aware that kestrels often don't occupy new boxes until 2–3 years after they've been installed, so don't be too discouraged if you don't have any tenants in 2022.

If you're interested in more specific local info, check out this map of kestrel sightings during the breeding season in the Peoria area. This might give you a better sense of exactly what kestrel distribution looks like in your region, and what your odds of luring a pair might be.

Regardless, we hope you'll consider registering your new box and submitting your observations to our database. Data from empty boxes are just as valuable as data from occupied boxes, if not more so, as they allows us to examine local population trends, why kestrels choose certain boxes over others, and a host of other factors. So even if your box doesn't attract a pair this year, you can still make a huge contribution to our community science effort.

Welcome to the AKP! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Matthew
AKP Staff

kalypso
kalypso's picture

thank you for reply. very good information.!  may i have problem here with other species of birds using the house? and or will kestrels take it over? how specific is this to the kestrel or owl breed?

 

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AKP-Matthew
AKP-Matthew's picture

With any kestrel box, there's always a chance of other species using it instead. In a suburban neighborhood European Starlings are the most likely candidate, though there's plenty of other possibilities such as wrens or House Sparrows. It's also worth noting that perches outside the opening of the box, like the wood bars we see on yours, can make boxes more attractive to some songbirds. But like Nu-Sun said, if kestrels want your box, they can and will chase away any other species that may be using it. We hope by this point you've got a kestrel pair hanging out nearby! Even if not, don't get discouraged - it often takes 1-3 years before kestrels occupy new boxes - and your observation data are still extremely valuable in the meantime.

Matthew
AKP Staff

Nu-Sun Cinema
Nu-Sun Cinema's picture

Hi Kalipso,

If the Kestrels want your house they will chase away all others.

We Have been a member for seveal years. Have a look at Kestrel Korner link below.

http://www.nu-sun.com/html/kestrel_korner.html

There is valuable information there from all our research.

Have a nice day,

Nu_sun Cinema, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

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