Phew, this season sure is going by quickly! Sorry for the delay in updates, but we’ve had quite the busy—and incredibly wet—spring here in New Jersey. In fact, May 2025 was the wettest May since 1990, with statewide precipitation averaging 7.27″, which is 3.52″ above the 1991–2020 normal, and marks the 5th wettest May on record . Over the entire spring (March–May), New Jersey saw 14.56″ of rainfall, about 2.91″ above normal, ranking as the 17th wettest spring on record .
All that rain made fieldwork a challenge and pushed our box installations into “advanced logistics.” Despite the wet weather, the Wild Bird Research Group and Friends of Hopewell Valley OpenSpace (FoHVOS) teamed up to install 27 new kestrel boxes this spring—in addition to the nest boxes installed since 2019. Here’s where things stand:
- New boxes (2025): 6 active nesting kestrel pairs
- Old boxes (pre‑2025): 19 active nesting pairs
- Total active nests: 25 across Hopewell Valley, spanning Mercer, Warren, and Somerset counties
And we’re still hopeful—there’s room for a few more nests once we finish evicting European starlings from the newer boxes!
Check out one of our latest volunteer updates:
Why starlings are causing a hold-up
It’s common in a box’s first season for European starlings to swoop in and occupy cavities before kestrels can discover them. These invasive birds are adept cavity-seekers, outcompeting native cavity-nesters and contributing to declines in species like bluebirds and kestrels. To give American kestrels a fair shot, our dedicated technicians and volunteers have been monitoring the boxes regularly, humanely evicting starlings and preparing the boxes for kestrel arrivals—and it’s paying off.
A kestrel win on a private farm
Just last week, we had a watershed moment: a kestrel pair took over a new box on private farm property after starlings were removed. We expect to hear “peeps” of eggs and, eventually, fledglings any day now—so stay tuned!
What comes next?
- Egg monitoring: Tracking when eggs are laid and how many
- Hatching updates: Expect updates in the coming weeks
- Chick growth & fledging: We’ll follow their progress through summer
Despite a soggy spring, visibility into this nesting season is clearer than ever thanks to hard work and community effort. With 25 active nests—and possibly more—it’s shaping up to be a banner year for kestrels in the Valley.
Stay tuned for egg, chick, and fledgling updates as the season progresses!
How You Can Help
We are very grateful for all the volunteers who are collaborating with monitoring nest boxes and evicting Starlings. WBRG relies on donations and grants to help fund other aspects such as the nest boxes themselves as well as other important research we are doing with programs like MAPS. You can help by becoming a WBRG member.
