>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO CONNECTING POINT.
I'M JIM MADIGAN.
THE AMERICAN KESTREL IS THE SMALLEST AND ONE OF THE MOST
COMMON FALCONS IN NORTH AMERICA, BUT BEING SMALL HAS ITS
CHALLENGES.
KESTRELS ARE PREY FOR LARGER RAPTORS AND THEIR GRASSLAND
HABITATS WHERE THEY NEST ARE OFTEN TAKEN FOR BUILDING AND
HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
THE KESTREL NEST BOX AIMS TO BOOST CHANCES OF ADDING TO THE
NEXT GENERATION OF BIRDS, WITH THE HELP OF VOLUNTEERS, INEQUITY
BOXES DESIGNED FOR KESTRELS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AROUND THE REGION
SINCE 2012.
IN 2014, THREE OF THE BOXES PROVIDED HOMES FOR 10 BABY
KESTRELS.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER VISITED SOME OF THE KESTREL BOX
LOCATIONS AND SHARES THIS STORY.
>> THE AMERICAN KESTREL IS THE NORTH AMERICA'S SMALLEST FALCON,
A KIND OF HAWK, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A MORNING DOVE.
THEY ARE VERY LOVELY, LITTLE COLORFUL BIRDS.
YOU MIGHT SEE THEM HOVERING OVER FIELDS OR SITTING ON POWER
LINES.
THEY ARE PECULIAR FOR OX IN NORTH AMERICA BECAUSE THEY NEST
IN CAVITIES.
THEY MAY NEST IN NATURAL TREE CAVITY THIS IS SOME CASES BUT A
LOT OF CASES THE TREE CAVITIES IN FIELDS ARE NOT REALLY WIDELY
AVAILABLE SO WHAT THE KESTREL TRUST IS DOING IN COLLABORATION
WITH BOTH FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND ALSO PARTNERS WITH
THE STATE FISH AND GAME IS THEY ARE ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING
NESTING BOXES FOR KESTRELS AND THESE PROVIDE NESTING HABITAT
WHERE THE KESTRELS CAN LAY THEIR EGGS AND RAISE THE YOUNG.
>> WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT AND WORK TO
CONSERVE KESTRELS CAME UP WE REALLY LATCHED ON IT BECAUSE
OBVIOUSLY IT'S OUR NAMESAKE SPECIES, AND IT'S AN AMAZINGLY
LITTLE BIRD SO FOR US IT'S A WIN-WIN PROJECT BECAUSE NOT ONLY
ARE WE HELPING A PARTICULAR SPECIES ON PROTECTED LANDS IN
THE AREA THAT WE HAD A ROLE IN PROTECTING, BUT WE GET TO WORK
WITH GREAT PARTNERS IN THE AREA WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THE SAME
KINDS OF WORK, AND ALSO GET TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN A
PROJECT THAT IS VERY EXCITING AND REWARDING FOR THEM.
>> THIS IS ONE OF OUR KESTREL BOXES MADE FOR US BY A
VOLUNTEER.
WE HAVE A WHOLE SIZE SPECIFIED FOR THE PARTICULAR SPECIES OF
BIRDS THAT WE WANT TO ATTRACT BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO HAVE A
REQUIREMENT FOR THAT.
WE HAVE A WAY TO LOOK INTO THE BOX HERE.
WE REMOVED THE SNAIL AND OPENED THE SIDE PANEL SO THAT WE CAN
ACCESS IT FOR CHECKING THE NEST AND CHECKING THE NEST CONTENTS
AND THEN IN THE FALL WE CLEAN OUT THE BOXES EVERY YEAR TO GET
FRESH MATERIAL IN THEM.
I CAME TO THE VALLEY AND NEVER LEFT THE AREA VERY QUICKLY CAME
AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE LANDSCAPE, AND I HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN INTERESTED IN BIRDS, SO SEEING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
INVOLVED WITH A CRITICAL CORNER OF THE BIRD CONSERVATION WITH
REFERENCE TO THE GRASSLAND BIRDS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, BUT
IT'S ALSO ALLOWED ME TO PUT A SKILL THAT I HAVE LEARNED THE
BIRD BANNING TO USE LOCALLY.
THE BAND AS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT HAS NINE DIGITS ON IT
WHICH WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO READ.
WE ALSO HAVE PERMISSION TO USE A FIELD READABLE BAND, WHICH IN
THIS CASE INVOLVES COLORS AND ONLY TWO DIGITS.
SO THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP TRACK OF THESE BIRDS OVER THEIR
LIFETIME.
WILL ALLOW US TO KEEP TRACK OF HOW OLD THAT THEY BECOME AND HOW
LONG THEY LIVE AND WHERE THEY MIGRATE AND THINGS OF THAT KIND.
KESTRELS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN UNDERGOING LONG-TERM DECLINES
FOR DECADES NOW.
SO NEW ENGLAND, I THINK, THE NEW ENGLAND POPULATION IS DECLINING
AT THE GREATEST RATE.
WE THINK A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE CONTINUED DISAPPEARANCE
OF SUITABLE GRASSLAND HABITAT.
THE KESTRELS ARE MIGRATORY, THEY LEAVE NEW ENGLAND IN THE WINTER
AND RETURN IN THE SPRING, AND MALES AND FEMALES PAIR UP AND
THE FEMALES WILL LAY FOUR, SOMETIMES THREE, SOMETIMES FIVE
EGG, INCUBATE THEM FOR A FEW WEEKS OR A MONTH, AND A FEW
WEEKS AFTER THAT THE YOUNG WILL LEAVE THE BOX.
>> I HAVE PROBABLY BEEN THE ONE TO POKE MY HEAD IN MORE BOXES
THAN ANYONE OVER THE YEARS AND I NEVER GET TIRED OF SEEING THAT
NEW LIFE AND REALIZING THE BIRDS ARE SUCCEEDING IN THEIR MAIN
TASK IN LIFE WHICH IS TO MAKE MORE BIRDS, AND JUST SEEING THE
YOUNG BIRDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR LIVES AND KNOWING THAT
IT'S ALL OUT THERE FOR THEM, AND WE HELP TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT'S GOOD FEELING.
>> KESTREL IS REALLY SUCH A TERRIFIC LITTLE BIRD.
IT'S SO EMBLEMATIC OF AN IMPORTANT HABITAT.
IT'S AN EMBLEM OF THE KESTREL LAND THAT I SERVE, AND IT'S SO
GREAT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE A CONSERVATION ACTIVITY AND SEE
SUCH RAPID AND TANGIBLE SYSTEM.