JERSEY’S kestrel population has fallen dramatically over the past 15 years, a conservationist has warned, with traditional farmhouse owners now set to play a key role in the species’ survival.
Bob Tomkins, chair of the Barn Owl Conservation Trust and a JEP nature columnist, said there are now no more than 50 pairs of kestrels left in the Island.
“In the last 15 years, across Europe their numbers have dropped by 50%,” he said. “It was a huge drop.”
He added that Jersey’s kestrel population decline mirrors the wider European trend, driven by a combination of climate change, habitat loss, and evolving farming practices.
Changes in agriculture have reduced the number of rodents in Jersey’s potato fields – a crucial food source for the Island’s kestrels.
The small falcons, known for their “incredible” eyesight, can spot prey from up to 100 feet in the air, even detecting ultraviolet light.
Kestrels feed on animals often considered pests by humans, including beetles, wood mice, and small rats.
Around 40% to 50% of Jersey’s kestrels nest in hollows along the Island’s cliff faces, which Mr Tomkins described as “perfect” habitats, while others rely on inland nesting sites.
To support Jersey’s kestrel population, the Trust has installed 18 identical nest boxes in “substantial” trees. However, only three are regularly used, for reasons that remain unclear.
Kestrels, which are the second-smallest falcon species, have also traditionally nested in small openings beneath the gables of Jersey farmhouses – originally designed as ventilation for loft spaces.
But as buildings have been modernised, many of these features have disappeared.
Mr Tomkins said steps had been taken to address this, with both the Trust and the Environment Department encouraging planners to retain these openings or install nest boxes nearby.
One recently renovated property in St Martin has already incorporated a dedicated window for kestrels – without providing access to the loft.
“It will be interesting how quickly they take on the new one,” he said, urging owners of older properties in Jersey to consider the importance of these features.
Owners of old properties should “be aware, especially with these end apertures, how crucial they are to the survival and the breeding success of the kestrel”, added Mr Tomkins.
While Jersey’s kestrels can be “noisy” and “not everyone is going to want them screeching around in the back of their house”, Mr Tomkins noted that their breeding cycle lasts only around four weeks.
He also warned that climate change is disrupting breeding patterns across multiple species on the Island. The Trust has observed barn owls laying eggs in November and hatching in February — two to three months earlier than usual.
“It’s not just the kestrels and the owls, it’s about every bird species,” he explained.
