Kestrel populations have declined significantly as farmland vole populations and prey diversity have reduced with agricultural intensification.
Kestrel welfare depends directly on rough grassland vole prey. Agricultural intensification removing field margins and hedgerow banks eliminates kestrel foraging habitat. Each rough grassland margin created immediately improves prey availability for kestrels in the adjacent territory. Creating rough grass margins is one of the most direct and immediate wildlife welfare actions available to farmers.