Kestrel Nest
Box Plan
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How to Build a Kestrel Box
Materials:
One 1" x 10" x 8'
board
Two hinges
1 ½" galvanized nails
Wire
Construction:
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Mark and cut out
the pieces as shown.
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Cut a 3" diameter
entrance hole in the front piece, 11 ½" from the bottom edge.
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Drill two ¼"
holes near the top edge of both side pieces. Drill four ¼" holes
in the floor piece, as shown, to allow for drainage.
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Assemble the box
as shown in the diagram.
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Attach the roof
on top of the box using two hinges, for easy cleaning access.
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Place one nail in
the side of the roof and one nail in the face of the adjoining
side piece, as shown in the diagram, so that they line up
vertically. Use wire tied around the two nails to keep the roof
closed to predators.
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Place 2-3" of
sawdust on the bottom of the box.
Kestrel Nest Box Tips
Kestrel boxes have been shown to seriously increase the number of
nesting kestrel pairs in an area. Here are some suggestions:
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Nest
boxes should be placed in open fields, meadows or along hedgerows
next to open areas. A grassy habitat should be near the box so
kestrels can use it for hunting. |
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Kestrel nest boxes should be firmly attached to a support
structure, such as a tree or post, 10 to 30 feet above the ground
and spaced at least half a mile apart. |
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The
support structure should have a sheet of aluminum secured around
it to prevent squirrels from climbing and using the box. |
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Place 2 to 3 inches of sawdust in the bottom of the nest box. |
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Boxes should be installed no later than February 1st, to allow
kestrels to find nest sites when first returning north. |
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Since starlings may use the box, check the box once a week and
remove the nest and eggs of any starlings present. Starlings are
unprotected by law and thus you are permitted to do this. Starling
eggs are white with a blue-green tint, but other species such as
bluebirds (bright blue eggs) and tree swallows (white eggs) may
also use the nest box. Be sure you can identify the eggs, but when
in doubt, wait for one of the parents to return for positive
identification. |
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Clean out the kestrel box after each nesting season and replace
the sawdust for next season's nesting pair. |
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