Registration is now open to all!
Experience the amazing American Kestrel close up! We will visit the kestrel nest boxes that volunteers in our Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring Program steward, open them up, and place research bands on the chicks' ankles. It doesn't harm the birds, and allows scientists to study things like nesting preferences, migration, etc. Plus, it is really, really fun!
Adults are $25/person. Children must be at least 10 years old to participate, must be accompanied by an adult, and are $10/child.
The June 12 session is done in partnership with the Central Wisconsin Kestrel Research program. The morning banding session will run from 7:45am until 12:00pm, and the afternoon session will run from 12:30pm to 4:00pm. Please choose just one session.
To attend, participants should be able to walk on uneven terrain, expect to walk through grasslands and ditches where ticks and other insects live, and be willing to drive or carpool 50+ miles between nest boxes.
In addition, all participants are required to review our Kestrel Banding Visitor and Photography Policy and agree to the terms in order to participate. This is to ensure the safety of the birds and participants!
Registration is now open to all!
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s American Kestrel banding program is part of an effort to study an important species that is declining across North America. Federally-permitted researchers safely band and recapture kestrels to study the species over time. All banding, marking, and sampling is conducted under established protocols and under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit from the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory.
Cover photo by Ruth Smith
