EM Kestrel Project Recap

This was the second year of the Eagle Mountain Kestrel project. The project was started by Shon Reed, Eagle Mountain Resident and avid birder in 2015. The project has logged hundred of volunteer hours during the season, and has been helped by several different groups. The project had another successful year. The project monitored 24 Kestrel nesting boxes during the nesting season. They monitored each box, recording the number of eggs laid and watched as those eggs produced fledglings. Those 24 boxes produced 83 eggs, 62 of which hatched. The group also helped HawkWatch International band 46 kestrels. The group had a couple of setbacks during the season. 7 nestlings were lost during the season. 3 of the nestlings died of natural causes. 4 of the nestlings were killed when some shooters shot one of the nesting boxes, also killing the adult female kestrel that laid the eggs. 1 nestling was removed from one of the nesting boxes by a local falconer.

The last banding of the season was done on July 13th, where three male kestrels from nest box EM01, were banded, weighed, measured, and had a feather collected for DNA testing. Nearly half of the 46 banded fledglings we also banded with color bands. These bands can be viewed and read with a high power lens such as a camera, spotting lens or binoculars. There are several other programs that also use color bands, including some from Idaho and Montana. Several of the City Council members and Candidates for Eagle Mountain Elected office participated in the July 13th banding. Tom Westmoreland, current Eagle Mountain City Council Member and Candidate for Mayor, was one of the participants. Tom had this to say about the project. “Eagle Mountain’s kestrel program is a success story in many ways. Not only have volunteers like Shon and Brian assisted the kestrel population but have become role models in our community as well. This program and the people that keep it going have enriched the culture and identity of our city so much that some people even think the new high school mascot should be the kestrel. It appears they have made a positive impact with birds and people.”

The project was a success, but there are still things that must be done to help protect the American Kestrel and other wildlife that is prevalent in the Eagle Mountain area. Several of the residents, including Shon Reed suggested that the city setup a board that would be responsible for advising the City Employees and City Council on the effects development of areas would have on the local wildlife. Colby Curtis, a current City Council Member, took the idea and has run with it. He plans on working to establish the Conservation and Stewardship Advisory Board, which would be tasked with wildlife preservation within the boundaries of Eagle Mountain. The board would be similar to the boards that are already being run in the city and would serve in an advisory capacity to help the Mayor and Council become and stay aware of particular concerns or courses of action the city could take to limit its impact on wildlife as the city continues to expand. Curtis said, “When I saw the concept on Facebook, I really liked it and started researching what other cities, towns, and counties do. It lit the fire for me, and the board seemed reasonable and well within the scope of what other municipalities like ours do. I’ve never been particularly wildlife minded, but that in itself is one good reason having a board like this could be beneficial because it allows the wildlife-minded individuals in our city a platform in which to bring up concerns and perspectives the council may not have. The idea is not to have a board looking to step on development’s toes, but rather to offer a unique perspective to the council about wildlife migratory patterns and food sources and how the city’s activity affects them. I’ve no interest in the city driving conservation, that’s not the point of this. The opposite is true. I want the residents who serve on the board bringing this information and their recommendations to the city council in order to better inform our decision-making process. The wildlife in our city is part of our identity, and ensuring that we account for that as we grow is not only a great opportunity, but our stewardship. Even so, the idea and basic concepts are there, but I’ve still got to work with residents and other elected officials and the new incoming officials to try to make this come to fruition.” The Audubon reported on April 22, 2016 that, “According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, there are about 4 million American Kestrels living in the Lower 48, Mexico, and nearly all of Canada and Alaska. That’s 66 percent fewer kestrels than there were in 1966.” in an article entitled “Are Kestrels the New Poster Species for Pesticides?” The article continues to say that the decline is caused by “habitat loss”, “food-supply pressures”, “diseases like West Nile virus”, “predation”, and “pesticides”. “But Smallwood’s research shows that modern-day pesticides—particularly the weed killer paraquat and neonicotinoids—may still be causing reproductive failure in small-bodied raptors such as kestrels.” Those pesticides can also be contributing to the food-supply pressures as well. Eagle Mountain currently uses Killzall, Surflan, Barricade, and 2-4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid on the turf areas and roadways to control weeds. Most of these products are applied by the contract companies the city uses to do maintenance. Maybe one of the first things the Conservation and Stewardship board could do is research the effects that those herbicides may have on the local Kestrel Population and other native wildlife. Shon Reed the organizer of the Eagle Mountain Kestrel Project believes that conservation is something for everyone. “Many residents moved to Eagle Mountain for the beauty of the area, the clean open spaces, and the abundant wildlife. By managing the city’s growth wisely, we can protect and preserve the habitat for future generations to enjoy. Conservation at a local level is something we all can participate in.”