American Kestrels are the smallest of North American falcons, and a nesting pair can be viewed via live cam inside the big nest box they recently selected to nest. This male was preening its plumage outside a big nest box (photo by Paul Konrad). A still image created from the live camera view shows the female American Kestrel inside the big nest box in southwest Wisconsin.

Providing nest boxes is an important part of our birding activities, whether in our yard or at a larger property. We usually start out with a bird house, but ultimately we advance to providing nest boxes built for specific cavity nesting birds, ranging from wrens to bluebirds and tens of other species. Eventually, some birders get excited about the prospect of providing a big nest box for larger cavity nesting birds – some ducks, owls, and kestrels. Perhaps as a stepping stone to installing a big nest box, now you can view a female American Kestrel that just began laying eggs and incubating last week, all via a live cam online!

American Kestrels are the smallest falcons in the Americas, and this pair has selected a newly built nest box recently installed near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where the female laid the first egg April 14, the second on April 16; the third egg was laid 2 days later, last Thursday, and by Monday, what is probably a full clutch of 5 eggs was being incubated by the female.

Brought to you by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Raptor Resource Project, you can see the live action camera feed and interesting video clips by scrolling down and clicking on the red arrow at American Kestrels | Cornell Lab Bird Cams Cornell Lab Bird Cams (allaboutbirds.org) The new nest box was constructed out of a downed tree and lined with natural material to resemble a natural cavity by members of the Raptor Resource Project, and it took a just few weeks for the pair of kestrels to begin investigating the new structure.

Like many birds, American Kestrel pairs have defined roles during the nesting season: The female will do most incubating, and the male may also incubate periodically, but themale will mostly be on the hunt for food to drop off for his mate as she incubates. The eggs will hatch in 26 to 32 days, and the nestlings grow quickly, fledging from the nest just a month later. See the All About Birds species description for more information about American Kestrels at American Kestrel Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology including how to tell the male and female apart through plumage coloration clues at American Kestrel Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Anytime is a Good Time to Add a Big Nest Box

If you are inspired to add a big nest box to your property or to coordinate with a local park, nature center, or refuge to install a big nest box, it is probably too late to attract a nesting pair this year, but you will be ready for coming years. Actually, while you could attract a kestrel pair, a number of different larger cavity nesting birds will use the same sized big nest box made for American Kestrels. Screech Owls, Wood Ducks, and Hooded Mergansers will all use the same big nest box with the same dimensions, features, and the same entrance hole diameter.

The habitat where you position the big nest box may determine what birds ultimately use the artificial cavity, and you can get all the information you need about selecting or building the right-sized nest box for kestrels and other cavity nesting birds from NestWatch at NestWatch | Features of a Good Birdhouse - NestWatch and NestWatch | American Kestrel - NestWatch

If you would prefer to buy a ready-made nest box, BestNest offers a variety of big nest box options. And if you don’t have the inclination or space for a big nest box, they have smaller nest boxes for bluebirds, wrens, and other cavity nesting birds. When buying a nest box, be sure the model has a panel that allows you to open the nest box to monitor and clean it each year; for example, see Coveside Kestrel & Screech Owl House at BestNest.com

Backyard Barred Owl Nest Box Action

As you check out the nesting activities of the American Kestrels, don’t forget about the quickly growing and very active trio of downy Barred Owl nestlings you can check on at WBU Barred Owl Cam | Interior and Exterior Owl Nest Box Camera Views | Wild Birds Unlimited provided by Wild Birds Unlimited and the Cornell Lab. There is also a series of video clips you can watch at Barred Owls | Cornell Lab Bird Cams Cornell Lab Bird Cams (allaboutbirds.org) Good luck on all your backyard endeavors this spring and summer, and enjoy the nesting action at your bird houses and nest boxes, as well as at the nest box camera feeds.

Share your backyard birding experiences and photographs with The Birding Wire at editorstbw2@gmail.com