The Kestrel Project – “The chicks are in the mailbox”
In 2008, the Science Center launched an exciting and innovative project that blends natural science education with hands-on conservation and allows students throughout the state to become citizen scientists. The project – entitled the New Hampshire Kestrel Project involves the installation of specially-designed nesting boxes – made from steel mail boxes -- on school grounds, and the implementation of a student-led nest box monitoring scheme. In 2008 more than 1,000 students from 26 schools participated in the project and more than 40 boxes were erected. In 2009, we reached 800 more students.
The project was funded by a grant from the Jane B. Cook 1983 Charitable Trust with additional grant funds from an anonymous source. In addition, an in-kind gift of 100 heavy-duty steel mail boxes was made by The Solar Group (part of Gibraltar Industries) in Jacksonville, Mississippi, the largest maker of mail boxes in the country.
The funding allowed the Science Center to offer a hugely discounted program at the school site that includes a visit with our two Kestrels and our Peregrine Falcon. Part of the program involved installing one or two nesting boxes on your school grounds. Post-program activities involve monitoring the box(es) and reporting observations via an online reporting form.
In 2010, we will be installing boxes in prime Kestrel habitat around the state in the hope of increasing our chances of Kestrels using the boxes. If you have open grassland habitat on your property and are willing to mount the boxes, please let us know.
About the American Kestrel:
The American Kestrel is our smallest North American falcon. Recent studies have shown a dramatic decline in Kestrel numbers in the eastern US. The Kestrel’s decline has been linked to loss of grassland habitat, which affects both nesting territories and migratory stopover sites. Other possible factors include West Nile virus, predation by larger hawks, and competition with other birds for limited nesting sites.
Kestrels are cavity nesters. Their ideal nesting site is in an old Pileated Woodpecker or Flicker hole 20 feet up a dead tree in the middle of a large meadow. Like other cavity nesters it is possible to provide them with artificial nest sites in specially-designed nesting boxes.
