General Discussion : 2016 KestrelCam Discussion

Hello! 

Welcome to the 2016 KestrelCam season! We're back with a brand-new camera courtesy of Bosch, and a new streaming platform on Youtube. If you notice the two cams are out of sync, try refreshing the page and restarting the streams. If you have technical issues or any other kind of issue, please use the contact staff link to get assistance. 

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Remember to be respectful and courteous to other viewers, and enjoy the show! 

-Delora Hilleary

Comments:

cb0324's picture

Some birds do the rationing in an even harder way- like throwing the younger chick off the nest. Without making any moral judgment here, sometimes it shows IMO that they come from reptiles( dinos). Mammals generally do not do this, or at least not in such a harsh and open form. But of course, it's about the survival and every specie uses it's own techniques..

Delorahilleary's picture

It's not a behavior limited to just birds, actually :) Favoring bigger and stronger offspring over weaker ones is a common litter-rearing behavior across all animals, including many species of mammals. In the wild, it is often rare for an entire litter of offspring of any animal to survive to independence. It's a way of ensuring one's resources are used effectively when said resources are limited.

After all, mammals are also descended from reptiles :)

There are other strategies apparent in birds as well - such as those who devote all their energy into carefully tending one offspring, which is a strategy similar to many ape and monkey species. It all varies!

cb0324's picture

Also whales or elephants. Harpy eagles have only one chick and it stays in the nest for a year!

TerriFla's picture

The little one made it's way to the front and got several bites of food this time! Yay!

cb0324's picture

yes, good news.here.

TerriFla's picture

looks like the little guy didn't get any food this time. pitiful.

Jill from MN's picture

The wing feathers are starting to come in and the Kestrel Kids are preening! I love it.

I think the only way to tell if a chick is starving would be if each baby bird had distinguishing marks. I'm going to think positive that all five nestlings are healthy and that they get tired from time to time, just like last year.

I suspect that the babies are getting used to the air and the climate because the parents leave the box from time to time for several minutes at a time.

Delorahilleary's picture

Indeed, I see a cycle of different chicks taking a nap during different feeding times. In any case, size differences really only become apparent as the feathers grow in, so it's hard to say so far!

cb0324's picture

True. But the mom still tried to keep them warm during the last night. And they need more and more food, so both parents are really busy. The only thing what would worry me are the magpies, if they come when the mom is gone the babies are toast.

cb0324's picture

kestrel landed on the roof with a rodent but then took off.

came back ( could not tell whether it was male or female the first time) and entered as female the box with the rodent.

TerriFla's picture

Here's another post not from the drop down:
2016-05-04 13:56:55: parent returns with food saw the female kestrel feed the chicks.

Griffinsong's picture

They are doing that by putting the thing they want to report as [part of] their name.

TerriFla's picture

and another (hope it's not true, the camera is down):
2016-05-04 12:24:05: do we have a dead chick saw the inside camera come back online.

Griffinsong's picture

All look fine to me right now. One was not moving much but it was asleep, just woke up with a start and is moving a lot now.

Delorahilleary's picture

Yup, no dead chicks! All of em look fine this morning. :)

TerriFla's picture

Yay! I am a nervous wreck! LOL

Jill from MN's picture

It's like the female kestrel practically floats alongside or on top of some very strong, lively chicks. Again I notice the wing feather tracts.

TerriFla's picture

A good day. all 5 still alive!

cb0324's picture

Nasty hail storm. Mom kestrel trying to keep the chicks warm.

TerriFla's picture

For weather observing: what is the address of the nesting box?

Delorahilleary's picture

We're at The World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, 83709!

Here's a handy link for you :)

https://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=boise+ID

TerriFla's picture

Thanks!

Griffinsong's picture

A dead rodent [vole I think] was left in the box by one of the parents and one chick has been vigorously trying to consume it on its own. A bit too much for it still, but I am sure the mom will come back soon to portion it for them.

Edit: Mom came, she didn't portion the left-behind rodent, but she did have another for them.

cb0324's picture

Gosh.!v Just saw a magpie flying by! Fortunately did not stop at the box.

cb0324's picture

Parents now leave for sometimes more than half an hour. I guess they have to feed themselves a bit.

Delorahilleary's picture

The chicks are beginning to be able to thermoregulate on their own, and the warmer temperatures definitely don't hurt either. Soon, both parents will be hunting full time to feed the brood.

Diane's picture

What are all the dark "beads" in the nest? Are those pellets?

Delorahilleary's picture

Indeed they are! Diurnal birds of prey can digest bone, but they cannot digest fur. So, they cough up fur (and sometimes hard bits of insect shell) as pellets.

Diane's picture

Thank you. So interesting!

Anders58's picture

Sorry - this is not a reply, but I don;t know how to create a new post! I have just watched a feeding session, from beginning to end. The female kestrel brought in a rodent, I think. It is interesting, in light of concerns expressed about full-clutch survival, that the prey was torn into 32 mouthfuls. One chick was given 30 of those, another got 2 and the other 3 chicks nothing at all. That said, the other 3 were not begging ad may have been sated by a previous feed. Just thought this was interesting to note.

Shauna's picture

So interesting, your observations. I just watched the male deliver something to the female, who came out of the box to retrieve it (a rodent I'm guessing). Then she whipped back in to the box, and those chicks had that thing dispatched in no time. I think one chick was given an extra big morsel, and it had that characteristic gagging movement to get the hunk down. Then the female went back to brooding. I'm noticing that the female, although challenged now about covering all the chicks who are getting so big and are more active as well, usually has her back to the entry--like a wind shield. Her tail is blowing straight up vertically. Maybe the position is just coincidental .

TerriFla's picture

yes. :)

TerriFla's picture

Why is the camera offline so much?

Delorahilleary's picture

For some reason the streaming software we're using is crashing occasionally. We're looking at crash logs to see what is going on. Feel free to report outages - I monitor the cams as much as possible to keep them running, but I am only one set of eyes :)

Jill from MN's picture

8:37 AM Boise time, I saw the female go back to mantle her chicks and I noticed she was preening them for a few minutes before she settled down. Really all five Kestrel Kids are so big and strong by now it's like their mom is in a mosh pit. Love it!!!!!

Shauna's picture

Mantle. Great verb. Is it specific to bird observation?

Delorahilleary's picture

It is! "Mantling" describes the behavior when a bird spreads its wings over something to shield it from view or protect it. It's a behavior raptors do when they are trying to hide their prey from prying eyes, or when shielding chicks. Below is a picture of a red-tailed hawk mantling while it munches on lunch.

Jill from MN's picture

Thank you, Shauna! This usage is definitely not original; I heard a kestrel rehabber (whose actual success I wonder about in the end) use the term to describe how young birds spread their little wings when feeding or trying to eat on their own, as if to 'own ' their meal. So I guess it's very much a birdie term.

TerriFla's picture

Something fuzzy at the top near the camera?

Delorahilleary's picture

Yup, the baby kestrels have entered the "rocket butt" phase. Birds of prey forcefully squirt fecal material as far away from their bodies as they can, which is why kestrel nest boxes get painted white. As you can see....it can hit the camera, despite the camera being 16 inches up. Luckily the view is not blocked, so we'll just clean the lens when it's time to band the chicks.

As a note, the high ammonia content in the feces prevents a lot of negative bacterial growth, though some more benign bacteria can break it all down. Small insects also scavenge in nest boxes, but they are not a species that is harmful to kestrel chicks. It certainly becomes a weird little ecosystem in there!

TerriFla's picture

2 poops on the camera. I don't think they like us watching them! LOL

TerriFla's picture

A lot of moving around in there today. Lot's of poop on the camera too! LOL

Jill from MN's picture

The chicks are so pretty at this stage!

I will take note of their tiny tail feathers as they grow in now so I can speculate on how many males and how many females have been growing up. It is so cute when their little tails bob up and down.

Delorahilleary's picture

From my quick glimpse into the box, I can tell you one is definitely female! I didn't dawdle to get a good look at the others, though. Soon, their tails will tell is :)

Diane's picture

Wait...you can tell the sex by their tail feathers?!

Jill from MN's picture

Hi, Diane - I am far from expert but I will make educated guesses based on any sign of either a solid bar at the end of a tiny tail or of more than one faint one. There is a guide to baby kestrels here in the Partnership Documents on the American Kestrel Partnership site that shows the gradual growth of plumage and field markings. Look for a "Kestrel Nestling Aging Guide".

Jill from MN's picture

4:56 Boise time --he's flapping his little wings!!!!!! And I think we have at least two little hens.

They must itch like crazy with all those feathers coming in.

Jill from MN's picture

14:59. Piling on top of each other. The fluffy parts must involve the coverts

Diane's picture

Thanks, Jill! I will check it out.

Delorahilleary's picture

Yup, just like Jill said - in this top-down view this nest cam gets, it is often easiest to begin telling sexes early on when the tail feathers begin to grow in. Brownish and stripy = female, and white-tipped with a big black band = male! I find myself peering at the tails now to figure out which chick is what.

If you have trouble telling this early on - worry not, the sex differences will only become more apparent over time :)

Posted in General Discussion by Delorahilleary 8 years 2 days ago.