Nest Success of Southeastern American KestrelsAssociated with Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers inOld-Growth Longleaf Pine Habitat in Northwest Florida

The Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus), anon-migratory subspecies of the widespread American Kestrel, has declined tothe point that it is listed as threatened in Florida, the state in which it is mostcommon. We studied the nesting biology of Southeastern American Kestrels in1999 and 2000 at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, in old-growth longleaf pine savanna,a habitat type historically widely occupied by the kestrels. Most of thenest cavities we observed were in old-growth trees, both living and dead, andwere originally excavated by Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis)and then enlarged by other woodpecker species.

KATHLEEN E. GAULT et al., SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST 3(2):191-204