 Redheaded Woodpeckers are one of many birds you may have seen during the June Challenge.
Calling all June Challenge participants! Once you have finalized your checklist submit your totals and let us know what you observed. The deadline for submission is July 7 this year.
New to the June Challenge? The aim of the Challenge is to see as many bird species as possible within the boundaries of your county between June 1 and June 30. Learn more here and give it try next year!
 Two Southeastern American Kestrels perch on a wire in Ocala. Photo by Travis Blunden.
The Southeastern American Kestrel lives primarily in Florida and parts of neighboring states. It is a state-threatened subspecies of the American Kestrel, North America's smallest falcon. Kite Tales spoke with Simon Fitzwilliam, Avian Field Biologist at FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), to learn more about these tiny raptors and the work being done to monitor them. We learned that these birds display impressive adaptability, including settling into city life in Marion County.
Many American Kestrel populations have been in decline since the 1960s, but Southeastern American Kestrel populations may be improving. According to Fitzwilliam, “It’s one of the few subspecies that seems to be bucking the broader trend, at least in some parts of its range.”
The subspecies has displayed an interesting shift in their habitat use over time. They once primarily used longleaf pine savannas, which were widespread in Florida 100 years ago, but have adapted to changing landscapes and are now often found near pastures and fields. They have also adapted to nest in a variety of settings, including tree cavities, nest boxes, barns and utility poles.
 A pair of Southeastern American Kestrels nesting in a wooden utility pole in Ocala. Photo by Travis Blunden.
Recent observations show that kestrels have moved into urban areas. In Ocala, the species has been spotted perched on power lines and nesting in wooden utility poles. In 2018, a coordinated effort was initiated to learn more about these unexpected urbanites. In 2020, a partnership between FWC, the City of Ocala Parks and Recreation Department, and Marion Audubon led to the installation of 12 nest boxes in Ocala’s city parks. The boxes may be an important resource for the birds as many wooden utility poles are being replaced with metal or concrete poles.
Marion Audubon works with the FWC Volunteer Program to maintain and monitor the nest boxes. Each January and February, volunteers clean the boxes and replace the wood shavings that serve as nesting material. Throughout the breeding season, from March to June, they use peeper cams to check inside. The birds usually produce one clutch of three to five eggs per season, and chicks fledge 28-30 days after hatching. Two nest boxes are located at Ocala Wetland Recharge Park on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, where five chicks were banded in 2025.
 Southeastern American Kestrel eggs, laid in a nest box in 2025. Photo by FWC.
Scientists are interested in how the kestrels use habitats during the breeding season, especially in present day landscapes. FWRI researchers studying kestrels in rural Marion and Levy counties recently began GPS tracking of breeding adults. In spring 2025, the ongoing FWRI research project expanded to include urban kestrels when GPS tags were placed on three breeding females in Ocala. Tracking the movements of these urban birds alongside their rural counterparts could help scientists understand whether urban kestrels are connected to, or distinct from, agricultural populations in northern Marion County.
Ocala’s urban kestrels are an inspiring example of adaptability, and proof that exciting new discoveries can be found right in our own neighborhoods. Continued research will deepen our understanding of these charismatic falcons and help ensure their ongoing recovery across Florida. Fitzwilliam concludes, “There's reason for optimism. Nest boxes work for the kestrels, and the collaborative effort of installing and monitoring them fosters stewardship and creates awareness of conservation needs.”
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