: May-Aug in the pasture/meadow complexes surrounding the Norway Drive/Crooked Road intersection. No confirmed breeding records in the last 10 years.
: early Apr-early May with from late Mar, and mid Aug-mid Oct, with a peak mid/late Sep and to mid November, perhaps best seen from the Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch.
: Formerly Dec/Jan, mostly in years with little snow cover, but no records.
Miscellany: American Kestrels breed in tree cavities and depend on other birds, particularly woodpeckers, and nature to provide suitable nest sites. The lack of such sites is thought to limit kestrel numbers and we suspect that artificial nest boxes in the Crooked Road/Norway drive area (with landowner permission, of course) would encourage more breeding.
American Kestrels are in a multi-decadal decline on MDI (see here) and in New England with habitat loss, pesticides, and Cooper's Hawk predation being among the suggested causes.
Last Updated: August 22nd, 2022