Wildlife

Wild Kestrel Farmland Recovery

Kestrels have declined 36% in England since 1995, with farmland populations hit hardest by vole prey reduction from intensive grassland management and loss of rough grass foraging habitat.

Key Facts

Kestrels hunt almost exclusively by hovering over rough grassland searching for small mammals
Field voles make up 70-80% of kestrel diet in UK farmland habitats
Intensive silage production eliminates vole habitat by removing rough grass margins
Field margin schemes creating rough grass strips support vole prey for kestrels
Kestrel populations in Scotland have held up better than England due to less intensive farming

Welfare Considerations

Kestrel prey reduction from farmland intensification causes breeding failure and starvation. Rough grass margins providing vole habitat directly benefit kestrel welfare and breeding success.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes creating rough grass margins for small mammal prey
Record kestrel hunting and nesting through citizen science monitoring
Install kestrel nest boxes on farm buildings and poles in suitable farmland
Raise awareness of intensive grass management as a driver of kestrel decline