We are happy to announce that we published an article in Global Ecology and Conservation where we analyzed 6 years of data collected by citizen scientists watching the KestrelCam. Our findings suggest that wildlife webcams could be fantastic avenues for other organizations to engage citizen scientists in data collection.
Thank you to everyone who has watched, sponsored, or contributed data to the KestrelCam: Special thanks to our KestrelCam sponsors: Bosch Security Systems, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise State University's Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Don and Carol McCartney, and Lynn Fraze.
Read the full article here: Webcams as an untapped opportunity to conduct citizen science: Six years of the American Kestrel Partnership's KestrelCam.
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Full-Cycle Phenology Update
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To untangle the environmental and genetic factors affecting American Kestrel phenology (the timing of life cycle events), we monitored American Kestrel presence and breeding activity in nest boxes across the United States, encompassing a wide geographic area where vastly different environmental conditions and genetically distinct sub-populations likely occur. We used a combination of in-person visits and remote monitoring using trail cameras in nest boxes to capture time lapse images of nest contents.
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In the 2018 breeding season, Department of Defense (DoD) partners and BSU biologists monitored 246 nest boxes across 12 Department of Defense (DoD) sites. At the >40 nest boxes occupied by American Kestrels across eight DoD sites, we collected timing information such as: the date kestrels arrived in nestboxes, when they laid eggs, when eggs hatched, and when nestlings fledged out of the nest box. Additionally, our BSU crew banded, measured, and took samples from >50 American Kestrels on the breeding grounds across six DoD sites (Fort Wainwright, AK; White Sands Missile Range, NM; Camp Pendleton, CA; Yakima Training Center, WA; Fort Bragg, NC; and Fort Riley, KS), while DoD biologists at Lucky Peak, Idaho and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah independently captured and sampled an additional >20 kestrels. These samples will be used to help build the American Kestrel Genoscape, and to determine which individuals remained on the breeding grounds during the winter season (residents), and which individuals ventured south (migrants).
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In a recent National Audubon Society article, Kenn Kaufman, ornithologist and author of several popular bird guides (and illustrator of the image above), explains the science behind why female kestrels are thought to get the prime wintering habitats. In it, he gives a nod to the American Kestrel Partnership!
The article looks into why female kestrels outnumber the males when it comes to hunting territories during the winter. Kaufman mentions several studies and goes into detail as to why male kestrels give up prime wintering territories so that they can take care of the female and their nestlings.
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Adopt and Shop to Help Kestrels
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Adopt-A-Box
Love or want to help kestrels but don't have and monitor kestrel boxes?
Please consider participating with the American Kestrel Partnership through our Adopt-A-Box program: You can be a tremendous help to kestrels by Adopting (or Re-Adopting) a box. Your $100 adoption will pay for maintenance and monitoring of one of the longest running kestrel box programs in the nation as well as support the American Kestrel Partnership's continent wide coordination efforts. Help us reach our goal of 100 adoptions to support our work in 2019 - Adopt-A-Box today!
A special thank you to our 2018 Adopt-A-Box participants.
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Shop: No more time limits!
We've had so many requests to bring the 2016 AKP fundraiser T-shirt back, that we did just that. Order yours anytime from the AKP Shop page.
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Many thanks and keep on kestreling!
Cheers,
AKP Staff and Student Interns
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