FRIENDS TO FARMERS

WRITTEN BY Kathleen Walker
PHOTOS BY Scott Butner

Vineyards, orchardists, and crop farmers face many obstacles in agricultural production and, with economic and environmental pressures constantly looming, they have found winged allies. Nature has provided an eco-friendly resource—raptors, or birds of prey.

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Angus, an American Kestrel, is the smallest of the so-called “educational birds,” which is used by Blue Mountain Wildlife of Pendleton, OR to help educate the public about the important role that raptors play in ecosystems.

Carnivorous raptors, particularly barn owls and Kestrels, hunt for vertebrate pests such as gophers, voles, and rodents and provide an alternative to traps, gopher bombs, and rodenticides. Owls are strictly nocturnal hunters but Kestrels work the day shift and they also eat crop damaging grasshoppers and other insect pests, providing a safer alternative to chemical pesticides. Raptors not only consume animals that are considered pests but provide the additional benefit of keeping animal populations in balance.

Blueberry farmers in Washington’s Whatcom County and the Fraser Valley of British Columbia are in a battle with the pesky starling, now estimated at over two billion strong. Supported by a scientific research permit from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the blueberry farmers are actively recruiting Kestrels in the battle. And many growers in the Mid Columbia are doing the same. The highly territorial Kestrel befriends local growers by killing, repelling, and harassing fruit eating starlings, as well as sparrows and other birds. The avian pests are afraid of the feisty little raptor, a natural dynamic that farmers are using to their benefit with positive results.

The smallest of all raptors, these fierce robin-sized falcons can kill a starling in mid-air with high speed diving flight and fast direct flight pursuit. Studies have shown that when Kestrels are in the area, starling populations decline.
According to Marsha Hamm of The Raptor House, “Hunting other birds is a learned skill for the Kestrel. A well-conditioned adult is well adapted to hunt starlings and sparrows.”

Hamm has also witnessed the smart Kestrel carry out a plan. When starlings built a nest in Kestrel territory, Hamm watched the Kestrel patiently wait until the project was completed and the family hatched before it robbed the nest.
The American Kestrel, commonly called the Sparrow Hawk, is the smallest and most abundant North American falcon. One of the most colorful raptors, males and females have different color plumages and the male is particularly beautiful. The birds are about the size of a robin with females being considerably larger. They weigh in at three to four ounces with a total length of nine to twelve inches long with a spread wingspan of 20 to 24 inches.

Kestrels are widespread in North America and the northern ones will migrate. Unfortunately, man is their worst enemy; besides the loss of habitat that affects all animals, they are shot, fly into windows, and get hit by cars.

Protection efforts to encourage their numbers include the responsible use of chemicals in the environment and habitat protection and establishment. They can live about six years in the wild, although many live a hard life and succumb sooner than that.

Kestrels have a light and buoyant flight, which is rapid and graceful. They will chase other birds in direct flight but they usually hunt insects and mammals from a high perch, a fact that farmers consider in developing an inviting habitat that encourages their hunting. When prey is spotted, the Kestrel may hover over the spot by rapidly beating its powerful wings and spreading its tail feathers to provide lift. They are the only North American falcon that hunts by hovering.

Kestrels are cavity dwellers and growers are placing manmade boxes on agricultural lands to establish them, an effort that requires patience and effort over time. Ben Dover from Yakima, Washington, has established a successful business during his retirement years building Kestrel boxes for agriculturalists. In the last three years, he has built and supplied 2000 boxes to farmers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and far-away New York.

“Kestrel boxes are the most effective in Mid-Columbia cherry orchards because the Kestrels are nesting at the same time the cherries are ready,” Ben explained.

Dover has also supplied Kestrel boxes to peach and apple orchards, vineyards, and dairies. Kestrels don’t use nesting materials, a clue that can be used to check for starling invaders and other bird pests that invade the boxes. Boxes are checked and cleaned on a regular schedule to maintain their availability and suitability for nesting Kestrels. This care increases the population.

When Kestrel Vintners owners John and Helen Walker spotted Kestrels in their vineyards, they were so captivated by the beautiful raptor, they named their winery after it. Kestrel Vintners in Prosser, Washington, is supporting its namesake. The foundation for producing good wine begins in the vineyards and the winery and its namesake are working together. According to Flint Nelson, winemaker for Kestrel Vintners, the Kestrel boxes placed in the vineyards early last spring were quickly occupied and the winery was successful in encouraging four pairs of nesting Kestrels. This year the winery has four nesting couples, including a new resident couple in the Kestrel box on the winery.

Kestrel Vintners also supports Kestrels with an annual festival featuring new wine releases, live namesakes, and flight demonstrations performed by The Raptor House. A rehabilitation center caring for all rescued raptors, The Raptor House has cared for many Kestrels over the past ten years.