American Kestrel Nest Box Study - Full length documentary

RaptorView Research Institute partners with MPG Ranch to study American Kestrel breeding in Western Montana. This film documents the falcon's life history and the innovative GPS technology we use to study migration routes. It includes kestrel behavior and breeding habits from nest initiation to young kestrels heading out into the world on their own.
June 2015
Filmed and edited by Cherin Spencer-Bower
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Wild Films photographer, Cherin Spencer-Bower, spends time outdoors behind a camera filming wildlife and scenes around the Western United States and New Zealand. She has a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Biology and found her interest in studying birds, mainly raptors, on migration. She is an experienced wildlife photographer, drone operator, and video editor taking her films from their first appearance on camera to final production on screen.

[@michaelkenny9027]

Excellent documentary. I put up my first kestrel next box this year in southern Washington State and already have a pair checking it out. Hopefully will find eggs soon and be able to report to American Kestrel Partnership. Keep up the good work.

[@yLeprechaun]

Just built an arbor to hang the bird feeders. Mice moved in by the bundles to live in a hollow log and feed on the seeds dropped by the birds. 2 weeks and a Kestrel has come. She loves the arbor which gives her a perch directly over the mice. I will be building a couple nest boxes. I am so excited. She is gorgeous. I really hope to help strengthen the Kestrel population here in central Montana.

[@whitneykeene7430]

Cool video! Very informative. I love Kestrels, they are so cute and so fun to watch. I would love to build a nest box for them! There is a pair that live nearby my dad’s house in southwest CO, and I often watch them through binoculars as they perch on his fence posts and eat their catches

[@liliyasgardenchannel8876]

Thank you for this wonderfully educational documentary!!

[@jessepadilla5919]

Good stuff! Great work! Save our American Kestrels.

[@antlerking69]

Thanx Cherin that was awesome

[@gregorywojtera7283]

Excellent documentary, I really enjoyed it.

[@Uncagethewild]

Wow ❣️....what a wonderful documentary, learned a lot 👏 Greetings from India 🇮🇳 😀

[@smitraut5759]

Good documentry well done One of the best detailings

[@elusivemandog8477]

This was very cool and informative. I love raptors they are so interesting!

[@cherinswildfilms2569]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed. You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook @cherinswildfilms for more raptor and other wildlife posts.

[@ruebencristobal7790]

I see these all the time at Powell Butte Park in Portland OR. I figured they were either falcons or baby hawks.

[@Sadahiko312]

This was very interesting

[@Glasgowurbanwildlife]

lovely video ! your American kestrels are stunning compared to our uk kestrels

[@ezas123ful]

I watched this video because there is an A. Kestrel making a lot of screeching just outside my kitchen door. I went outside to see if I could ascertain the reason for it making so much noise. I wonder if it is trying to attract a mate (?). I don’t see any obvious cause of threat or distress (?). It’s late November 2020 here in Los Angeles, I live in a fairly dense urban area close to the ocean. The bird is flitting between a tree, power pole and power lines sequentially. What do you think?

[@TheGreatOne16439]

Fantastic video! Are they normally always that tame when banding?

[@cherinswildfilms2569]

Birds are generally calm when handled when their wings and talons are securely immobilized.

[@cherinswildfilms2569]

Birds are generally calm when handled when their wings and talons are securely immobilized.

[@jeffj2495]

Nice video and program. Too bad the gps units can't be designed to fall off after a certain number of days.

[@cFukus]

bands make her dance

[@Kapok6]

Do you have the migration data yet?

[@cherinswildfilms2569]

We didn't recover any of the units unfortunately.

[@stephencook7337]

Cherin's Wild Films perhaps the kestrels found them uncomfortable and managed to remove them on their own?

[@lashawnknowles2491]

@@cherinswildfilms2569 what do you believe happened?

[@chich3chich176]

Do birds like wearing gps trackers?

[@lukeightseven]

No

[@marcusevans7570]

really informative and interesting video,would give 10 likes if I could!

[@cherinswildfilms2569]

Thank you! And thanks for watching.

[@austin1839]

I have never understood why these boxes are so bloody small.

[@LadyhawksLairDotCom]

Because the birds are bloody small. They're the right size for the bird. Too large an area and an egg could get lost.

[@lukeightseven]

It’s kind of messed up handling the bird so much

[@nenisyahrir4510]

11111933

[@ovedmejia8298]

Idk about that gps...its seems that it may harm the bird.😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠

[@cherinswildfilms2569]

We take every measure to make sure the gps will not inhibit the normal activities of the bird. The unit weighs only 1 gram and is very tiny in relation to the bird's weight. They are designed to fall off after a year, and if caught, will release the bird. We were able to monitor all the birds that received units at their nest boxes and saw them return to their routine, successfully raise young, and migrate south for the winter.

[@mikedun8882]

Oved stop worrying. This is their job.they do this everyday

[@BrianSmith-gp9xr]

Stop banding . ! How would you like it ? So important to humiliate creatures you can't shoot.