Boise gets a glimpse into an American Kestrel nest box as video streaming begins today

BOISE, Idaho –The first egg was laid by a female American Kestrel on April 7th around 8:00 p.m. (MST) in the nest box monitored by a web camera. This camera will live-stream video of the Kestrel family activities until the chicks fledge from the box.

kestrel.peregrinefund.org/webcams

The female kestrel is likely to lay 4-6 eggs in the coming days and the parents will incubate the eggs over the next 29-30 days. The female will do most of the incubation while the male does most of the hunting.

The nest box is located at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey as part of The American Kestrel Partnership. Launched in response to kestrel population declines across much of North America, The Peregrine Fund’s American Kestrel Partnership is a network of citizen and professional scientists working to better understand Kestrel populations and conservation.

The web camera is sponsored by The Peregrine Fund, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and was donated by Bosch and Matt Thomas of New/Era Sales, Inc.

Did you know?

  • Nest: Kestrels are cavity nesters meaning that they prefer nesting in a hollowed out hole in a tree trunk at the edge of where a forest meets a field. The forest provides protection for the nest while the field provides good hunting habitat.
  • Pairs: American Kestrels generally keep the same mate from year to year, but if one dies, the surviving bird will seek another.
  • Eggs: A typical clutch is 4 to 6 eggs, which are incubated for 29 to 30 days. The female does most of the incubation while the male provides food for the pair. The eggs will not hatch if they are infertile or the young dies during incubation.
  • Feeding and Hunting: Kestrels feed mainly on large insects but will also hunt small rodents, bats, lizards, small snakes, and small birds. They hunt by hovering over the ground and diving on prey and can often be seen perched on power poles and power lines while watching for prey.
  • Conservation: American Kestrels are one of the most widely distributed raptor species in the Western Hemisphere but declines in population have been observed recently. Causes for these declines have not yet been determined.

For more information, contact:

Erin Katzner
Director of Global Engagement
Main Phone:     208-362-3716
Direct Phone:     208-362-8277
Cell Phone: 412-606-1653

erinkatzner@peregrinefund.org
www.peregrinefund.org