Gordon Riddle has been monitoring Kestrel in a discrete area bordering Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway since 1972.
Gordon monitors a range of natural sites, including tree cavities, old crow nests, cliffs and quarries in addition to a series of nest boxes. Each year, he visits 30-35 territories. The study area comprises a broad range of habitats, the upland areas comprising a mixture of rough pasture grazed by sheep, interspersed with small shelter belts, and commercial forestry plantations, while the lowland area is a mixture of coastal estate and mixed farmland.
Visit Gordon’s website here.
Study area trends
Please click below to see the trends for Common Kestrel within the Ayrshire Study:
Parameter | Period | Years | Mean annual sample size | Type of trend | Mean +SE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breeding pairs | 1988-2015 | 28 | 39.61 ± 1.04 | Decreasing | 25.5 (± 1.22) |
Clutch size | 1988-2015 | 28 | 17.57 ± 1.27 | Stable | 5.13 ± 0.04 |
Brood size | 1988-2015 | 28 | 15.04 ± 1.05 | Stable | 4.66 ± 0.05 |
Fledgling success | 1988-2015 | 28 | 21.29 ± 1.21 | Linear increase | 0.86 ± 0.01 |
No. fledglings | 1988-2015 | 28 | 17.89 ± 0.99 | Stable | 4.12 ± 0.06 |