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Local kestrel restoration: Saving farmland raptors, one nest box at a time



Rich Wells is a conservationist of all trades. He is serving his seventh consecutive year as president of the Springville Field and Stream club and actively works on the Springville Community Trout Pond Restoration Project with partner Green Springville. He raises honeybees and beagles, has worked for over 40 years to reestablish the American chestnut tree and is largely responsible for the restoration of the local bluebird population, the New York state bird.

Rich Wells removes an adult female kestrel from a nest box.

On Saturday, May 28, though, Wells brought along a few volunteers to help him band kestrels. What is a kestrel, you ask? The American kestrel is a small, predatory bird about the size of a blue jay. Once known as the “sparrow hawk,” this tiny raptor’s nickname is a misnomer. Kestrels are more likely to eat small rodents, insects and lizards rather than other small birds.

Once plentiful across our countryside, the kestrel has been declining in the northeastern United States – but not necessarily in Concord. We have Wells and volunteers, like Springville-Griffith Institute grad Jonathan Clarkson, to thank for that. 

Clarkson is a master falconer and runs American Hawkeye, a falconry organization, out of Ellicottville. While Wells was building his bluebird boxes, Clarkson introduced him to kestrels and their similarities. Together the pair have built, installed and tended to 40 kestrel nest boxes which boast an 80 percent occupancy rate.

Despite his wealth of experience, Wells humbly refers to himself as a “bird bander,” rather than a “bird rehabber” or a “birder.” He maintains a master banding permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as bird banding and scientific collection/research licenses from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This allows him to attach a small, ring-like band of metal to a kestrel’s leg, which can be used to identify the bird.

Baby kestrels await the return of their parents for warmth and their next meal inside a local nest box.

As a licensed bander, Wells may also hold a particular bird temporarily for observation or transport to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. “For example, if a young fledgling gets wet before it’s waterproofed, I can hold the young bird overnight for its release on a dry morning,” Wells explained.  

Wells maintains a meticulous log of every bird he has ever banded, in accordance with state and federal regulations. This allows the next person who encounters a banded bird to both provide and obtain information about the bird to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including its current location, where and when it was banded, its size and its approximate age. The data gathered from sightings of banded birds helps ornithologists and government agencies to study birds’ migration routes, lifespans and nesting habits – and show how well the young birds survive in our area. “Most birds suffer through their first year,” Wells said. They must navigate everything from weather conditions to avoiding predators, and generally learning the way of life as a bird.

Another hurdle to the bird’s survival is that kestrels do not build nests. They have been known to nest inside a dead tree; however, the practice of removing dead trees limits nest sites for kestrels and bluebirds alike. Placing nest boxes – like Wells and Clarkson do – in open habitat or farmland is proven to boost kestrel numbers. By providing nest boxes in rural and agricultural communities like the Concord area, Wells has played an important role in the future of this small falcon.

Wells explained that nest boxes are easy to build and maintain. Raw pine or cedar work best, with no need to paint or treat with a wood preservative. No outside perch is necessary and is discouraged because it may attract other species to the box, such as starlings, squirrels or owls.

Measuring the length of an adult female kestrel retrieved from a nest box prior to weighing.

When it comes to nesting materials, kestrels are not picky. Simply place about two inches of coarse wood shavings in the bottom of the box in early- to mid-March to help cradle the eggs. Old nesting material should be removed in early fall to reduce the likelihood that other animals will use the nest box in the winter, as most kestrels will migrate to a warmer climate.

Kestrels nest for approximately four weeks, which is a relatively long period of time for a bird to nest. Whereas Wells checks on his bluebird boxes every 10 days, he can spread his visits to about every two weeks for the kestrels who have a 28–30-day incubation period, with a staggered hatch period.

Both male and female kestrels incubate, meaning they will sit on the eggs in the nest boxes, which is unusual for songbirds. “The male kestrels will even sing while they’re on the nest … whistle while you work,” Wells joked. Although we visited the nest boxes in early morning, the best time to watch for activity is from mid-morning to late afternoon.

This research may not seem relevant to the average person, but kestrels provide a great benefit to our local community, especially farms. Kestrels reduce common pests, including insects, mice and voles. For example, some grape growers use kestrels to control flocks of grape-eating birds that move into vineyards as the fruit ripens. Clarkson “rents” his trained raptors to chase away prey animals, providing an eco-friendly alternative to air cannons, strobe lights, shotguns or poison. “His falcons help control the local gull and geese populations – he ‘gives them the goose,’” Wells laughed.

Our farming community provides excellent nesting opportunities for American kestrels. The ideal location for a kestrel nest box includes large trees, tall poles, barns or outbuildings, preferably surrounded by open fields with short vegetation. Wells mounts his nest boxes between eight to 20 feet from the ground, facing away from the roadside, preferably with southern exposure to discourage the starlings.

Wells is proud of his time and effort. “I get a tremendous amount of good feeling knowing that I’m doing something to preserve this beautiful bird,” Wells said. “They’re fun to work with … and I like giving something back, because I’ve taken so much from this earth, and we do it every day…  Give something back before you leave.”

In addition to kestrels, Wells has banded over 8,000 bluebirds for tracking and observation, including approximately 170 so far this year. This and his decades-long mission of building bluebird boxes has more than earned his “Bluebird Man” nickname.

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