The Great American Kestrel Nestbox Project

Manassas National Battlefield Park in northern Virginia is home to a unique and important network of American Kestrel Nestboxes. For several decades, these nestboxes have been on the front lines helping support this Falcon in worrying decline.

HawkWatch International has awarded a Johnny Ligouri Scholarship to Soldiers2Scientists to replace, repair, and rejuvenate this nestbox network to enhance American Kestrel breeding success and assist important research and banding.

We are asking you to join our Team to help install, maintain, monitor, and assist with banding chicks and adults.

Maintenance, Seasonal Preparation, and Installation of new and replacement boxes will take place Sept, 2024 - Feb, 2025.

Nestbox Visits, Monitoring, Box Checks, and other data collection will commence in March, 2025 and carry through the summer. Box Checks should take place once every 2 weeks during breeding season.

Opportunities to assist raptor biologists with banding chicks and adults will be available from May-July.

Come be part of the project that started it all for Soldiers2Scientists and help us protect the American Kestrel Population in Virginia!