Recently I’ve been reading some disturbing reports about the decline of the American Kestrel in North America. And I’m talking about a drastic decline! I’ve speculated about just that in a previous post, based on my own recent observations in northern Utah but I’ve been hoping that what I’ve noticed is only a local and temporary phenomenon. Apparently it isn’t…
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
There are reports (see link) from apparently reliable sources that the numbers of kestrels in the Yukon Territory of Canada are down by about 90% over the past decade and that they have declined roughly 65% in North America overall. To say that I find this disturbing is an understatement.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc
I’ve been photographing birds seriously for about seven years and kestrels have always been one of my highly preferred subjects (this is one of my earlier kestrel images, taken on 12/31/07). Last night I quickly reviewed how many kestrel shots I’ve saved in each of those years and the number has declined dramatically during that time. I’m simply not seeing them nearly as often as I used to. I’m now fairly convinced that the decline in kestrel numbers I’m seeing echoes what is apparently going on in the rest of North America.
The American Kestrel Partnership is compiling a database to investigate the source of the problem but some researchers already suspect the decline is due to climate change or chemicals in the environment. I hope they figure it out quickly. The optimist in me (a character that is deeply buried in my psyche and doesn’t emerge often) hopes that we’ll have the same success with this problem as we did with the disastrous effects of DDT causing eggshell thinning in many raptors. Since DDT was banned in many countries, birds like Bald Eagles and Osprey have made a dramatic comeback. Maybe we can come up with a magic bullet for the kestrel…
Many of my readers are kestrel aficionados and I’m very curious to know if others have noticed this apparent reduction in kestrel numbers.
Ron
I live in southern Alberta, Canada and I’ve been seeing fewer and fewer Kestrels over the past five years. In fact, I haven’t seen one this year at all. Love your photography.
I hope they come up with a solution rapidly as well. They are a truly beautiful bird! Your shots are the most incredible I have ever seen! Thanks so much for sharing Ron!
Charlotte
Oh no. Heart hurting here – and I join everyone in hoping that the decline is not irreversible.
Great Kestrel Photographs!
I live in Southwest Michigan and spend a lot of time photographing birds at the Wildlife Refuge near Fennville, Michigan.
I’ve had 3 kestrels sightings this year at the refuge…. mostly eating insects in freshly cut fields. I was lucky enough to capture this one in mid August, 2013- see link.
The Michigan DNR officers told me that they believe that their numbers are down from previous years.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2xusbcfwotoon8s/kestrel%20landing.jpg
Ron – Yes – there is a continent-wide decline. And it’s very worrying. It was first noted in the S Eastern US, then the NE. I know in the NE, the original thought was that the conversion of previous farmlands back to forest was both eliminating habitat for them and allowing the Coopers Hawk population to increase, with a possible resulting toll on kestrels, since they’d be a good prey size for Coops. In investigating the decline in the SE, a biologist at Oregon State University, many years ago, was asking for blood samples from kestrels in different parts of the country, as they were trying to determine if those in the SE were a separate sub-species – that would have an impact on what they tried to do about it. I don’t remember hearing what the outcome of that research was. In the Midwest, as you say, William Dove, the assumption was that it was a loss of nesting habitat – as they are cavity nesters – so putting up nest boxes on the back of highway signs was one result. I have seen them along the interstate in several states. Locally here in Oregon, although I see them all the time on my travels and though they seem fewer in number, it’s really difficult to tell for sure – but we have been getting far fewer youngsters into rehab each year. I know it’s a bit perverse to judge a population by how many come in injured, but there has been a steady decline while an increase in bald eagles come in, as well as peregrines, signals the recovery of those populations locally). Kestrels seemed to have avoided the DDT issue, as they have such a diverse diet, but I’m wondering if the new pesticides are effecting their insect prey base, somehow – as there certainly seem to be plenty of voles out there in our area. Enough that barn owls do well here and we unfortunately get an increasing number of raptors into care with anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning.
It took researchers years to figure out the cause of the 99% decline in vultures in the Indian sub-continent … so we need to keep our fingers crossed that someone is looking into it! I’ll see if anyone on my RaptorCare lists knows about recent research and will share anything of value here.
I haven’t seen any recently, but at one point during breeding season I saw a ‘stack’ 5 Kestrels spiraling over our neighbors’ yards. Hearing the reports of their decline makes me even more glad that we had the opportunity to observe the pair nesting in our neighbor’s palm tree, and watch the juveniles fledge. My husband and I have both fallen in love with these birds, and have been enjoying the videos we took of them, even when all they were doing was sitting in the tree. We love their spirit. I think our local food sources are pretty good. We’ve seen them eat occasional small birds, some small rodents and lots of lizards. We’ve got plenty of lizards in our area, so hopefully that will help keep the population up. I, too, hope that the cause of their population decline can be discovered and remedied quickly. Why can’t birds like cowbirds, which to me have no redeeming qualities, decline instead of our beautiful Kestrels? Some things just won’t ever make sense to me.
I saw two kestrels from my back porch just this morning…so beautiful. Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk then to me) is the first bird I specifically remember from my childhood…my parents fed one for awhile…must have found it injured…I don’t remember because I was so young, but I think it eventually was able to be freed. I see them here in Idaho Falls quite often, but have no idea if numbers are down or not.
My favorite raptor. Your images are superb Ron!
The American Kestrel has been declining for several decades in various parts of N.A. About 20 years ago Florida’s populations were in trouble in certain regions while a decade ago South Dakota’s Kestrels were declining significantly. So much so their wildlife agency was providing nest-boxes on the backside of interstate signage. (Not my idea of a safe location.) Likely no one element of their habitat is the cause. I just release an adult male about two weeks ago that had suffered an impact injury from a vehicle. I wonder if he had a clutch he was the primary provider for and if so what was the result of his being removed from that role. I suspect for the Yukon population their very short breeding season and lengthy migration fuels some of that decline. Also being such a small species tracking them, by modern methods, to their wintering regions (and knowing that area’s habitat quality) is a greater challenge.
Being one of seven diurnal raptors displaying sexual dichromomatism helps us enjoy sexing the little falcon from distance and feeling a little more informed about them.
Interesting info, as always from you, William. I guess I’m not understanding your point about the Yukon’s “short breeding season and lengthy migration” though. Wouldn’t those two factors have always been the case up there? If so, how could they have contributed to the recent decline in that area?
Hi William and Ron,
There are small geo-locators being used on shorebirds as small as Ruddy Turnstones these days so tracking them would be possible if they could be caught. Apparently the latest ones don’t require that the bird is recaught to get the information.
Thanks for that Sonja. I’m not right up to speed on the smallest tracking devices. Trapping Kestrels for placing backpacks is not difficult at all and the backpack methods I’m familiar with don’t require re-trapping. The material holding the backpack simply breaks down and the device falls off.
Ron: I wrote a very lengthy reply yesterday but didn’t save it and lost in while attempting to post. I will re-write in in the next few days. I’m collecting research material and will include that. (Seems many are very interested in the species decline. Here is a link to migrate results observed in Ontario (Toronto area) over an extended period of time.
http://www.torontobirding.ca/site/page/view/hawkwatch.ak
Bill
That is truly devastating information! I love these incredibly beautiful little birds. I’ve been an avid kestrel aficianado ever since I had personal interaction and experience with one many , many years ago. I was stunned by the beauty of both male and female…so striking in the male and so subtlely beautiful in the female they instantly won my heart. At the time, they were called sparrow hawks. The male I was lucky enough to handle was very calm and gentle. I’ve always considered them “gems” in the bird world. I can’t help but wonder if they’re just the newest victims of the effects of global warming and climate change (Yes, you idiots out there…it’s REAL!). Please may it be temporary and may they rebound soon…in the meantime, I mourn every one lost.
I remember the “Sparrow Hawk” days well, Patty. Took me a while to make the change in my vocabulary.
The numbers of Kestrels this year around the Denver, CO area are noticeably down from last year. Many species numbers are down this year in the Denver area.
I think it has to do with a number of late spring snowstorms in the Denver area this year. These snowstorms may have caused problems for breeding and food
gathering. We hope for better numbers of birds next year.
Bruce Neuman
What you’re saying makes sense, Bruce. I hope that’s all that it was…
Sweet birdies, beautiful images … fingers crossed that the source of the problem and its solution can be discovered.
Thank you, Lois.
I’ve been thinking they were declining for even longer than the decade given in the observation. I’ve traveled around the NW as well as AZ & MT since the mid 70’s. The large numbers of Kestrels that I witnessed up to about the mid 80’s doesn’t compare to anything today! Ha, I saw a documentary from the 60’s about Yellowstone just the other day & the narrator was marveling over the rare Bald Eagle they filmed!
A very interesting, long-term observation, Deb.
Sharon and Sonja, From the comments so far I’m beginning to wonder if it’s more of an issue in the west than it is elsewhere in North America. Sample size is much too small to draw even tentative conclusions, of course but…
That second image is just beautiful. I hope the cause of their decline is found quickly so that something can be done about it. I think numbers of our Kestral are down too in Victoria where I live, but thought it was just due to changes in land use, but maybe not. Ours eat mice so maybe it is related to their numbers.
Yesterday, I had the good fortune to see a minimum of five individuals in a couple of hours. I was in the Livermore/Los Vaqueros reservoir area. When I was in Idaho in July and August I didn’t see a single one–normally I see a few during that time. These little raptors are close to my heart as well. (Magnificent photos, Ron–I love the image at the bottom, but I’ve never seen the top one before and it’s another take-your-breath-away shot!)
i’v seen a lot of Kestrels where i’m at on the gulf coast around Galveston,no decline that i’v noticed.
Glad to hear it, David. Thanks for the report.