This summer, I had the chance to contribute to a long-term research project on American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) reproductive success in northern New York, supported by the St. Lawrence University Fellowship Program and my advisor, Dr. Susan Willson. I worked in the field with Mark Manske of Adirondack Raptors and students from Paul Smith’s College to help band more than 200 chicks in nest boxes across St. Lawrence and Franklin counties.
American Kestrels are North America’s smallest falcon. They can be found in open landscapes, including fields, meadows, and farmlands throughout Upstate New York. Despite being adaptable and willing to use nest boxes, kestrel populations have been declining in many regions, likely due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and changes in land use, such as the shift from hayfields to row crops. In the North Country, however, a long-running nest box program led by Mark Manske has produced over 20 years of reproductive data that can be analyzed to answer many important questions.
As part of the field team, we conducted checks of kestrel nest boxes. Using a GoPro mounted on a pole, we inspected the boxes to assess occupancy and determine whether adults or chicks were present. If an adult was inside, we captured and banded it with a federal band. Once the chicks reached bandable age (around 12 days), we climbed a ladder to the boxes, gently removed them, and collected data including age estimates, sex, parasite presence, and brood size. After recording their band numbers and banding them with federal bands, we returned the chicks to their nest boxes.
We also began work analyzing how surrounding land cover, including grasslands, row crops, and developed areas, may influence kestrel reproductive success. Data analysis using RStudio and GIS will continue into the academic year.
In addition to kestrel work, we also banded Northern Goshawk adults and chicks. A survey of songbird nest box occupancy on the St. Lawrence campus was completed, and development of a student-led nest box monitoring program will continue into the academic year.