The smallest and most common species of falcon in North America is helping farmers protect the food that lands on our grocery shelves.
According to a study published in November in the Journal of Applied Ecology, American kestrels are reducing both crop damage and food safety risks in Michigan sweet cherry orchards.
Kestrels are a declining species and already live alongside agricultural land, so the study focused on how conservation and farming goals can be achieved together.
Researchers examined 16 sweet cherry orchards in Michigan during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons and compared sites with active kestrel nest boxes to those without. The research team tracked bird activity, measured cherry damage, and collected bird droppings to test for Campylobacter, a foodborne pathogen commonly found in wild birds. The researchers found that orchards with active nest boxes had fewer droppings overall.
Additionally, orchards with kestrel nest boxes had bird damage on 0.47% of cherries compared to 2.50% at the control sites without boxes. There was also feces on 2.33% of branches at nest box sites, compared to 6.88% at control orchards. As for Campylobacter, the study found that it was detected in 0.97% of fecal samples collected from the cherries, and it didn't increase in the orchards with kestrel nests around.
This matters because birds can be difficult for farmers to manage, and common deterrents can harm wildlife or fail over time. Kestrels, on the other hand, reduced pest birds without contaminating the cherries (the study noted that none of the tested fecal samples were traced back to kestrels).
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Low-impact approaches to pest control, such as introducing the right predator animal or insect to protect crops or land, are better for ecosystems in the short and long term than dangerous chemicals.
"Kestrels are not very expensive to bring into orchards, but they work pretty well," lead study author Olivia Smith told Good News Network. "And people just like kestrels a lot, so I think it's an attractive strategy."
It's additionally important to keep crops healthy because, according to Feeding America, around 30% to 40% of all food in the U.S. is wasted each year. Preventing losses earlier (especially by using natural pest control) in the food system can help protect food access for communities.
If you're interested in learning how you can help farmers, getting involved in local conservation efforts can help farmers put quality food on our tables.
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