American Kestrel being swabbed for prey DNA

Portrait of male american kestrel with vineyard background

Some recent photos from the field… One of the data points we collect from raptors is eDNA diet swabs, which is done by scrubbin’ microscopic prey 🧬 remains from their beaks. This can help us describe what American Kestrels are eating on California farms.

#AmericanKestrel #RaptorResearch #WildAg

Western screech owl brooding in nest box with six dead mice scattered around

Western screech owl nest with eggs and cached rodent prey

checking occupancy in lots of nest boxes on Northern California farms for a study this year… one surprise this season has been the number of Western Screech-Owl nests, many with impressive stock piles of cached prey!!
#WildAg #raptorResearch

Female American kestrel portrait

Very young nestling kestrels in a nest cup

Vineyard row

American Kestrels of Napa 🍇 Valley…

#WildAg #raptorResearch #AmericanKestrel

Western screech-owl nestling in hand

WESOs are getting ready to fledge into the grape 🍇 vines and olive 🫒 orchards of the Sacramento Valley…

📸: A sleepy Western Screech-Owl nestling 💤

#WESOwonderland #WesternScreechOwl #WildAg #RaptorResearch

*handled with multiple permits + research purposes