Kestrel Tower

American kestrels have used nest boxes on our property ever since the first box was placed in a dead hickory overlooking the creek, almost 20 years ago. When the hickory was struck by lightning, a new box was placed in a large ash tree 300 ft away, and was immediately used by the kestrels. Several years later, I placed a box on a pole behind the wagon shed and blocked the entrance to their old box down by the creek. The kestrels immediately moved to the new box in the yard. Next I decided to mount a nest box on the barn wall with an access door in the rear so the nesting progress could be checked from inside the barn without alerting the adults. Again, the kestrels immediately claimed this wall mounted box and nested there for several years. In 2002, this tower was erected in our extended front yard, and, again, the kestrels promptly moved into their new quarters.

The tower was designed to allow air flow from ground level up through interior baffles and out the large entrance hole. The lower portion of the tower houses an instrument compartment with remote min/max thermometers, vcr and video monitor. A video camera with infrared lighting is permanently installed in the top of the nesting compartment. An electric line is run underground from the house to the tower, since the distance is too great to run video and 12vdc. A starling trap with remote release was installed, but was never used. Starlings did move in soon after the tower was erected, but the kestrels discovered the tower the very next day and handled the starling problem themselves.

The ventilation design has worked very well, with the temperature in the nesting compartment holding very close to outside air temperature. In 2002, 4 kestrels fledged in an uneventful nesting. In 2003, five more successfully fledged and, in August of that year, a single egg was laid, but the box was then abandoned for the year. This was too late for a second brood, but the first time any attempt at a second brood was observed in the 19 years of nest box use. In 2004, nesting began in March, and after the five young fledged, a second brood of five was successfully raised, fledging in July.

Kestrel habitat surrounding the tower.

Front view of the tower showing the still unfinished open bottom which allows upward air flow around both the instrument compartment and the nesting chamber.

The tower in summer, showing the closest thing we have to lawn. Kestrels like open areas, but have no need for closely mown grass.

View from the road.The purpose of the tower is not apparent to passers-by, but I am slowly spreading the word that it is used by "sparrow hawks".

Night view with the 7 watt bulb creating the illusion of a full moon, both in size and brightness when viewed from several hundred feet. Controlled by a timer, the light is only on a couple hours each night.

A mid-summer cover crop of buckwheat in the front yard garden, at the foot of the tower.

Attracting barn swallows with artificial nest cups
order a flicker box	the flicker drum
the flicker nest box	the sliding hole cover trap
nest box video 2001-2008	video nest box cams for sale
Observations and studies using nest box camera	starling and house sparrow traps
2005 brown thrasher nest cam	2005 purple martin gourd cam
2004 Carolina wren nest cam	2004 European starling nest cam
2004 gray squirrel nest cam	2006 polygamous barn owl nest cam
2003 barn owl nest cam	2001 American Kestrel nest box cam
2002 American Kestrel nest box cam	2001 Yellow Shafted Flicker nest box cam
2002 Yellow Shafted Flicker nest box cam	2005 Yellow Shafted Flicker nest box cam
Eastern Bluebird nest box cam	Tree Swallow nest box cam
Carolina Chickadee nest box cam	house wren nest cam
Barn Swallow nest cam	Chimney Swift nest cam
Attracting barn swallows	other nestboxes in use
Entire site index Please check here if you can't find something	email to Richard & Diane
American Artifacts articles	American Artifacts catalog

barn owl American kestrel purple martin barn swallow Eastern bluebird
tufted titmouse Eastern phoebe yellow shafted flicker tree swallow chimney swift

house wren big brown bat Carolina wren brown thrasher catbird

Eastern wood-pewee . . .

barn owl	American kestrel	purple martin	barn swallow	Eastern bluebird
tufted titmouse	Eastern phoebe	yellow shafted flicker	tree swallow	chimney swift
house wren	big brown bat	Carolina wren	brown thrasher	catbird
Eastern wood-pewee		.	.	.