Photo By Jill Swank | Sgt. Rudy Harris, of Indianapolis, with the post Community Center, holds an American...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - Members from the Indiana Raptor Center released four American kestrels on to Camp Atterbury property during a ceremony Sept. 16. This wasn’t the first time one of the birds had seen the grounds here though, it was actually coming back home.
Along with the release of the kestrels, guests were also treated to a live bird of prey program. Beside the kestrels, those in attendance also were able to see a bald eagle, a peregrine falcon, an eastern screech owl gray phase and a barn owl up close and personal.
One of the four kestrels was originally rescued from Camp Atterbury, thanks to some of the staff from Range Control.
“Soldiers from the range control office called us for a rescue; they had some baby kestrels that needed some help,” said Indiana Raptor Center President Patti Reynolds. “We have wanted to do a program with kestrels for a long time so this was perfect.”
Reynolds said the Indiana Raptor Center staff decided to release the kestrels at Camp Atterbury because installation has an ideal habitat for kestrel’s to flourish.
“Since we knew that there were kestrels out on the property already, it’s a natural kestrel habitat. We thought we would release them there as part of the program,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds said Atterbury is a good habit for kestrels because it has a lot of “edge habitat.” An edge habitat is a location with an open field or prairies surrounded by trees on the edge of it.
“Kestrels are cavity dwellers. They live in trees on the edge of the field, farm, park or range areas like at Atterbury. These little guys hunt mice. They hunt in the open fields because they fly a course across the field looking for rodents,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds said raptors like the kestrel can also be beneficial to American farmers.
“A lot of people don’t know that they live primarily on large insects and mice. The insects and mice amount to about $25 worth of damage an acre of crops a year. A family of kestrels eats seven to eight mice a day, saving a farmer around $400 a day,” she said. “So that’s free rodent control for farmers and their crops, saving them money. On a big property like Camp Atterbury or a farm, you’re saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars a day by encouraging these animals to flourish.”
The American kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America at seven to eight inches long and can be recognized by black stripes on their cheek bones to reduce glare, according to Laura Edmunds from the Indiana Raptor Center, in Nashville, Ind.
“If you think you see a kestrel, take a second look. If you see two or more it maybe a Morning Dove. The kestrel has a larger head,” said Edmunds.
Kestrels hover to look for prey. These day hunters search for mice by looking for their urine trail, which looks florescent in the sunlight.
If someone happens to find an injured kestrel or bird, Reynolds said there are certain steps to contain an injured bird until a center can come to check for injuries.
“If a bird is injured and found, do not leave it alone. Try to cover the bird with a laundry basket or a box to keep it in one place,” she said. “If the bird is in a location that is heavily trafficked, the best way to pick it up is to put a box over it and slide a piece of cardboard underneath the box and then gently turn it over.”
“Be careful of their feet, because their feet are what are going to hurt someone. It is difficult to find them if they move,” said Reynolds. “It is best not to give them any food or water until we look at it, because it’s hard to tell if they have any internal injuries. If you try to feed it when it has any internal injuries, it could further injure it.”
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2011 18:45 |
| Story ID: | 77165 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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