Whereas most individuals have heard of falcons, right here’s a definition: A hen of prey, with lengthy pointed wings and a notched beak, usually catching prey by diving upon it from above.
Six species within the falcon household have been seen in Ohio, however three of them — crested caracara, gyrfalcon and prairie falcon — are main rarities and unlikely to be seen. Of the three extra widespread species, two are on the rise: merlin and peregrine falcon.
Sadly, the commonest falcon, American kestrel, is on a downward slide, though it’s nonetheless simply essentially the most frequent of Ohio’s falcons.
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American kestrels are concerning the dimension of a blue jay and are denizens of open nation. Whereas most likely each bit as fierce as their bigger brethren, kestrels hunt prey proportionate to their dimension.
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Mice are widespread victims, as are shrews and voles. In heat seasons, bugs comparable to cicadas, dragonflies and grasshoppers are widespread fare.
Kestrels are sometimes seen looking from roadside wires, carefully watching the bottom beneath for prey. Extra fascinating is their behavior of hovering like a helicopter, as if tethered to an invisible string. It’s the solely hen of prey breeding in Ohio that hunts on this method.
In 1930, ornithologist Lawrence Hicks claimed that the American kestrel inhabitants comprised extra people than the entire different eight species of non-owl raptors mixed.
Since then, kestrels have steadily diminished and they’re nowhere close to as widespread as in Hicks’ day. I used to be a co-author of the “Ohio Breeding Fowl Atlas II,” which got here out in 2016 and summarized statewide subject work from 2006-11 by legions of observers.
I authored the American kestrel account and famous that information advised that there have been now twice as many red-tailed hawks as kestrels. The kestrel account concluded thusly: “Nonetheless, if broader habitat wants for each foraging and nesting should not adequately addressed, the species’ inhabitants inside Ohio will probably proceed to say no.”
Main components within the little falcon’s decline relate to elevated intensification of agricultural lands, which as soon as made glorious kestrel habitat. Now, fallow fields are a lot scarcer, as are fencerows and different vestiges of noncropped habitat.
Heavy chemical use has laid waste to invertebrate populations attempting to eke out a residing in such locations.
Including to the kestrel’s dilemma is its want for cavities wherein to nest. Previously, tree holes had been used closely, however these are actually in a lot shorter provide.
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Happily, adaptive kestrels will use constructing eaves, outdated church steeples, gaps in freeway indicators, niches in barn lofts and, no less than in a single case, a squirrel drey (leafy nest).
However the falcons take readily to nest bins and people are maybe now the most effective nest websites. Within the early 2010s, the Ohio Fowl Conservation Initiative, Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Division of Transportation partnered to put 41 bins on freeway indicators in Crawford and Wyandot counties.
These bins produced 30 kestrels in 2013/14. The Ohio Ornithological Society positioned quite a few kestrel nest bins at The Wilds in Muskingum County, lots of which produced falcons.
Legendary nest field builder Dick Tuttle of Delaware, together with Dick Phillips, positioned scores of kestrel bins in central Ohio which produced many birds. Sadly, we misplaced Dick Tuttle in 2022, and thus his large contributions to kestrels and different cavity-nesters.
Massive-scale grassland creation, maybe most notably alongside the Scioto River in Marion County and the neighborhood, has additionally helped kestrels, particularly in winter. Many kestrels wintering in Ohio bred additional north, and these grasslands present ample small rodents for them.
On a latest journey to such grasslands close to LaRue in Marion County, I used to be happy to see a half dozen kestrels. Huge meadows of Indian grass and different crops put in by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and companions have spiked not solely kestrel populations, but in addition northern harriers, short-eared owls and different raptors.
A mix of habitat enchancment and nest-box placement can solely assist the charismatic little falcons to not solely survive, however hopefully thrive.
Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the primary and third Sundays of the month. He additionally writes about nature at jim mccormac.blogspot.com.