Overview
- Published Nov. 27 in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the field study tracked American kestrels in eight northern Michigan sweet cherry orchards.
- Kestrel presence cut the likelihood of fruit damage by more than tenfold as pest birds avoided orchards with active nests.
- Observers recorded roughly a threefold drop in visible droppings on branches, reducing pre-harvest contamination risk.
- DNA analysis of droppings found Campylobacter in 10% of samples, though no outbreaks have been linked to cherries and only one has been tied to birds (Alaska, 2008).
- Researchers recommend nest boxes as a low-cost complement to nets and noisemakers, noting kestrel occupancy and effectiveness vary by region and crop.