General Discussion : American Kestrel Partnership Newsletter - Spring 2015

It’s Spring already and we are quickly heading into the American Kestrel nesting season. With a flurry of green and the return of our migrants, it’s time to pick up where we left off last year! We’d like to thank all of our partners. We are as excited as you are about this upcoming spring!

Hatching sucess

One of the most important things we can know about a kestrel nest is whether or not the eggs hatch. Research shows that the number of kestrel eggs that hatch is a great index of nesting success. For us to include a nest in our calculation of percent of eggs that have hatched, that nest has to have been checked at least twice--once when there are eggs and once when there are nestlings.

So, a good way to make sure that we can use your nest observations to calculate hatching success is to make sure you check once when there are eggs in the nest and then again in at least another 30 days (or four weeks). That way, when you come back the second time, and see nestlings, you know the eggs hatched! If you come back the second time and the eggs still haven’t hatched, check back again in at least another 30 days.

Of course, the best way to monitor your nest is to check every ten days or so once all the eggs are laid. But, by following the 30-day rule, you’ll make sure that we can use your nest to calculate hatching success.

Check out the KestrelCam

The KestrelCam here in Boise, Idaho is seeing activity early this year! A male and female kestrel were spotted at the beginning of March, and since then there has been constant activity. We could be seeing the first eggs any day now!

As of right now, the KestrelCam page is uploading one image every 10 minutes. Once the female lays her first egg, the KestrelCam will go live in HD! Just like last year, we will have both the outside cam and the inside cam running. This year, we fixed the microphone that is attached to the nestbox, so the inside camera will have audio!

Keep an eye on our website and our social media so you don’t miss a thing!

Get those boxes ready

If you haven’t yet, make sure to clean out your nest boxes and add fresh wood shavings. You’ll also want to repair any damage that might have happened over the winter. Remember to check out our website (kestrel.peregrinefund.org) for all things kestrel, and log into our web forum to get your questions answered by experts!

Show your support for conserving American Kestrels

Did you know that a 20-year study of kestrels in Southwest Idaho is one of the biggest projects of its kind in North America? You can help support this important research by sponsoring a nest box. Each year, students from Boise State University monitor the boxes and collect data that might help determine why some kestrel populations are in decline. Find out how you can be part of the team.

American Kestrel Hat  Available in three different colors

American Kestrel Partnership T-Shirt  Show your support!

American Kestrel Earrings Hand-carved from bone and hand-painted into feathers

American Kestrel Pint-Sized Predator Renowned bird expert and master educator Kate Davis delves into the world of the American Kestrel