The American kestrel's future is under threat due to urban development and diseases like avian flu. Conservationists, including members from Save Mount Diablo, monitor nest boxes that have historically supported chick populations. The nesting success of these kestrels is now uncertain, with fewer birds being observed. The presence of invasive European starlings and habitat loss exacerbate the challenges faced by these birds, prompting conservation efforts to install nest boxes. Evaluation trips to these sites reveal declining conditions, as evidenced by vacant nests and theft of monitoring equipment.
The five tiny birdhouses we would visit were among the program's most productive, each having welcomed some five chicks annually for the past few years.
Avian flu has infected many wild birds - more than 170 North American species have contracted the disease - and in California, peregrine falcon populations have taken a nosedive.
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