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Platte River Status: A fairly common nesting species and winter resident across the study area. Peak migration through the area occurs during late March and during September. Tout (1947) considered this species an uncommon permanent resident in Lincoln County; Rosche (1979) assigned similar status for the lower North Platte River Valley.

Breeding Range: A fairly common and widely distributed nesting species in the Platte River Valley and Eastern Plain. Uncommon and local on the Dissected Plain and Western Plain. Rare and local in the Sandhills, wherelimited by the availability of nest sites.

Breeding Population: The population in 1979-1980 was estimated at 2,945 nesting pairs.

Habitat: We found the highest breeding densities in domestic hayland (0.7 pairs/km²), followed by lowland forest (0.4 pairs/km²), wet prairie (0.2 pairs/km²), alfalfa (<0.2 pairs/km²), and upland prairie (<0.2 pairs/km²). Nests are usually located in cavities in wooded areas adjoining open grassland or cropland. Graber and Graber (1963) recorded 3.0 birds per km² from Illinois pastures. Rising (1974) recorded American kestrel primarily in riparian woodlands and along roadsides in western Kansas. Stewart (1975) described American kestrel nesting habitat in North Dakota as consisting of brushy margins of forest or tree groves and open brushy tracts of woodland.

Effect of Habitat Alteration: American kestrel has benefited from the encroachment of wooded vegetation within the river channel and from establishment of shelterbelts in areas formerly supporting native grassland. The principal benefit of increased wooded vegetation within the study area has been the provision of numerous natural cavities that can be used for nest sites. Graber and Graber (1963) speculated that the population decline observed among American kestrels nesting in Illinois between 1909 and 1958 was caused by loss of pastures, and removal of trees from field edges.

Nesting Data: We have records of 5 active nests in the study area during 28 April to 7 June. Collister (1950) banded a recently fledged American kestrel near Paxton, Keith County (T. 14 N. - R. 36 W.) on 17 June 1949. Egg dates in Kansas range from 21 March to 20 May (Johnsgard 1979).