In 2022, HFWA began the Kestrels for Conservation program, which has 3 goals:
1. Raise money for conservation,
2. Teach local farmers and landowners on how they can benefit from kestrels
3. Provide useful information on local kestrel populations through fun citizen science.
HFWA will be hosting occasional nest box building events throughout the year at locations in Ashton, Rexburg, and Driggs. Sign up for our newsletter or check back to this page to find out when the next event will be scheduled. The first nest box will be yours to keep when you sign up for our monitoring program! Children age 10+ are welcome with adult supervision.
Participants can build extra nest boxes, which will be sold by HFWA to raise money for local conservation projects. These boxes will be available to purchase at the Ashton and Teton Valley Farmers Markets. If you live within the Henrys Fork watershed and would like to buy a nest box and have it delivered to you, get in contact with us by emailing caitlyn@henrysforkwildlifealliance.org.
Why kestrel nest boxes?
Kestrels are great friends to farmers but their numbers are declining in the U.S. They eat small birds, rodents, and grasshoppers and chase away nuisance species like starlings and sparrows. Placing a nest box on your property will attract kestrels to live and hunt near your property. Plus they’re just cool to watch!
Instructions on the proper placement and care of the nest box will be provided.
What to bring?
All the wood will be pre-cut. Some electric drills and screwdrivers will be available for use, but limited in number so bring your own if you have one. We will mostly be using Torx-head screws, requiring a T-25 or T-15 star bit.
What’s the monitoring program?
HFWA will provide assistance in monitoring and caring for your nest box. You can either sign up to be a volunteer or have another of our trained volunteers check on your box periodically during nesting season (May to the end of June) to record successful nests and chicks. Volunteers will also provide nest material and remove any pests. Your citizen science data will be uploaded to The American Kestrel Partnership, a project by The Peregrine Fund dedicated to monitoring kestrel populations and solving the mystery of their decline. Learn more about their work.
If you have any questions, email our project coordinator:
caitlyn@henrysforkwildlifealliance.org
