For the fourth year, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is hosting a 24/7 live stream via a camera mounted within a local American Kestrel nest box installed by the Sanctuary. The live stream can be found at hawkmountain.org/kestrelcam.
The American Kestrel Nest Box Program is part of Hawk Mountain’s long-term study of kestrel reproductive ecology, now in its 65th year. The Kestrel Cam streams from a nest box on a private farm local to the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, and it runs from about mid-March to the end of June, dependent on the nesting pair and their chicks.
The recorded footage is then trimmed and used for Hawk Mountain’s Act 48 approved American Kestrel Webcam Curriculum. The curriculum is designed for elementary and middle school levels with a focus on kestrel nesting ecology and interactive technology. Contact Director of Education Erin Brown for more information.
The American Kestrel Nest Box Program provides outreach to the local community and hands-on training for spring conservation science trainees and interns, including experience in data collection, banding, and live nestling handling and documentation. Today, more than 200 kestrel nest boxes have been placed within a 25-mile radius of Hawk Mountain, and each year all boxes are cleaned and monitored. Successful nestlings are banded at two weeks of age to continue the long-term research.
Visit hawkmountain.org/kestrelcam to keep up with live stream, or visit the American Kestrel YouTube channel to view highlights from the 2017 stream.
