On Wednesday, June 5th a group gathered at Brightside Farm Park in Malvern, PA. Comprised of young and old alike, everyone was there for one unique experience- to watch Dan Mummert and his team from the PA Game Commission band American Kestrel chicks.
American Kestrels are one of the three types of falcons found in Pennsylvania (the two others being Peregrines and Merlins). Unfortunately, they are considered a species in decline because of their habitat requirements. Kestrels are a grassland bird, along with Barn owls, Eastern Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, and Grasshopper Sparrows. Grassland habitat is on the decline faster than any other type in Pennsylvania and these species are feeling the effects. Fortunately, Charlestown Township has committed to maintaining a grassland plot at Brightside to keep these species local. Eastern Meadowlarks did make an appearance during the banding as proof positive!
These tiny, colorful falcons are a birder favorite. They eat large insects and rodents like voles and watching them hunt over fields is a delight. Yet another hurdle for their survival is their nesting preference- they like a cavity space, a space in high demand from other birds such as woodpeckers, owls, swallows, and more. Fortunately, the do take to nest boxes, which is the case at Brightside. Mr. Mummert said there are approximately 360 monitored kestrel nest boxes in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2023, 117 of those boxes produced 500 nestlings- incredible!
However, as we know, the life of a bird of any species is a challenging one. There is a high mortality rate for first year birds, but if they make it past that benchmark, they tend to live 6-7 years in the wild. Females lay 3-5 eggs each nesting season, often a 50/50 split between genders. At this kestrel banding, Mr. Mummert banded 4 chicks- 3 males and 1 female. He did find one unhatched egg in the nest as well. He explained that kestrels are “dimorphic” – the males and females do look different. The nestling males have blueish-gray pin feathers and the nestling females have brown pin feathers.
The nestlings that were banded were 2 weeks old and in another 2 weeks, they will fledge! It’s fascinating how quickly nature can work. Mr. Mummert also noted that these nestlings were a healthier weight than last year’s brood. He attributes this positive change to a larger nest box that was installed this year and the improved habitat efforts by Charlestown Township. Even though their bodies will change in the coming weeks, their legs were at their adult size. The bands used are sized precisely for kestrel legs, as you can see in the one photo.
Thank you to the PA Game Commission, Charlestown Township, and Bird Town for opening this event up to the public!
If you want to know more about American Kestrels or building a box for your property, Hawk Mountain’s website is a great resource.
If you find or photograph a banded bird, check out https://valleyforgeaudubon.org/bird-banding-and-how-to-report-a-band to learn how report the number and get more information.
Article and photos by Stephanie Harvey
