VIADUCT KESTRELS 2008
I'm not sure how many chicks there are this year, I have been told there are four, but I have only seen three. One of the kestrels in the photos and videos showing four birds is one of the parents.
Kestrels defend only a small territory immediately around the nest. The larger home range where the birds find most of their food is often shared with neighbouring pairs. The home range is usually at least 1Km square, but can be as large as 10Km square.
The female lays up to six eggs at two day intervals, and usually starts to incubate as she lays the third egg. The number of eggs produced depends on how much food there is, when vole numbers are low kestrels may not produce any eggs.
Incubation takes 27-29 days, the chicks need constant brooding for the first 10-14 days, after which the chicks can control their own body temerature.
The male provides the food for the female and chicks throughout the nesting period. The female will only hunt if food is in short supply, risking the loss of eggs or young chicks.
The chicks fledge gradually when they are around 4 weeks old. They explore increasing distances from the nest, but return to roost for another couple of weeks. The adults continur to feed the young for a month after fledging, during which time they will learn to catch their own food.
