If they can make it there ... American kestrels love NYC
In the gloom of winter, it’s worth noting a minor miracle involving local birds of prey.
American kestrels, dynamic small falcons that have seen their numbers decrease by nearly 50 percent in the past half-century, seem to be holding their own in our region.
Why? They like the city.
For as long as anyone can remember, these mourning-dove-size raptors have lived in rural areas, feeding off insects and smaller birds. But because of habitat loss, these falcons have quietly changed locales.
I first heard of the switch from Chris Soucy, head of The Raptor Trust, who mentioned that the Millington-based avian rehab center has admitted 63 kestrels this year. Of those, 51 were from New York City, and seven came from densely populated areas in Union, Bergen and Essex counties. Only a handful came from the traditional rural locales.
Soucy also explained why this latterday kestrel population is so charismatic.
“Kestrels are amazing little birds,” he said. “Their plumage is bold and colorful, and they are feisty and full of energy. It’s a treat to see one in the wild, hovering almost motionless above a field, scanning for small prey, before rocketing down to catch its next meal.” Why the move to cities?
As more and more cities encourage the use of “green” roofs, urban ecosystems have been transformed. For example, Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center has nearly seven acres of rooftop vegetation to trap stormwater and cool the building.
The kestrels eat bugs, small birds and other small critters that the roofs attract, and they nest in any suitable opening. Kestrels have even been seen at night shagging flies (and other insects) at Yankee Stadium.
My favorite urban kestrel has a blue alphanumeric leg band, D55, making it easier to identify her and document her whereabouts. She nested in Manhattan in 2020 and 2021 and, because she could be identified by her leg band, we also know that she spent many weekends around Teterboro Airport before breeding season.
She was fierce, and she chased out every female kestrel that came by,” said Jean Shum, who monitored D55 daily for two nesting seasons.
Kestrels’ fondness for cities does have a downside, one that probably occurred to you already. How do they raise their young in a world of tall buildings?
The answer, too often, is “not very well.” Of the 51 kestrels that New York City’s Wild Bird Fund sent to The Raptor Trust last year, most were young birds and displaced nestlings.
Growing up in the city has its challenges as well as its rewards – and people who care.