Latest news with #AmericanKestrel
CTV News
15 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Protecting North America's smallest falcon
Winnipeg Watch A Winnipeg couple is working to protect the American Kestral and help grow the species. Devon McKendrick has more.
CTV News
17 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Feisty little character': Winnipeggers document special falcons that have made their property home
An American Kestrel being banded in Winnipeg on June 10, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) A Winnipeg couple is doing their part to help better understand and protect North America's smallest falcon. Kim Bisson and her husband, Rick Onski, set up a birdhouse on their property for the American Kestrel to call home. 'The kestrel is such a feisty little character that we just fell in love with them when they moved into our neighbourhood, because, like a lot of wildlife, they're losing their habitat for many different reasons, and so we have put up nest boxes to try to draw them into our area,' said Bisson. Kestrels live in the Prairies and northern United States and are considered perch hunters. Their diet consists of voles and insects. 'They sit and they perch and they watch and they look for those rodents running around in the grass. And then, of course, the insects, once the insects are out.' Kestrel birdhouse The birdhouse set up on Kim Bisson and Rick Onski's property on June 10, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) Bisson and Onski have been live streaming the kestrel families since 2014 and working with local organizations to collect data on the raptor species. Onski was a former cabinetmaker turned videographer. So, he created a bird box that fit multiple cameras inside and out, allowing them to get a bird's-eye view of the kestrel. This is their 11th season with baby birds, and they recently banded the newest hatchlings. 'We had two females and two males this year. So that's always good for the population. Keep the species going.' Banding is the process of taking a small metal band that has a unique number on it and wrapping it around the leg of the bird. American Kestrels A female kestrel on the left and a male kestrel on the right after being banded on June 10, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) The number is entered into a database, and researchers can see where the bird has been, if it's male or female, and track its growth. 'So there's stations set up across all of North America and even in South America, where these birds migrate to. That's allowed us to track this over time. So multiple generations, multiple species. So everything from really tiny little tree creepers all the way up to things like whooping cranes,' said Courtney Shuert, the conservation programs manager with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. Bisson and Onski have banded 45 kestrels since 2014. Shuert said this practice is not only great for being able to understand the birds, but also what is happening globally. 'With things like climate change, one of the things that we're learning from these bands is actually how migration has changed over time. So things like birds showing up earlier every year as a result of changing climate.' American Kestrel A band getting put on an American Kestrel on June 10, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) Shuert noted having people like Bisson and Onski showcase an up-close and personal view of birds like the kestrel really brings the larger community closer to nature. 'Making that connection for people, I think, is really important. That's a lot of the work that we do here at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, trying to connect people with their urban biodiversity. So efforts like that are really great to see.' Bisson expects the babies to be ready any day now to leave the nest and start their own journey out into the world.
CBS News
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
National Aviary gets 7 new species
Seven new species are getting a home at the National Aviary, and most of them aren't birds. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History recently ended its animal ambassador program after a 10-year run, and the National Aviary said it's "a natural fit" for it to take over care for many of the ambassadors. The new additions include four-toed hedgehogs Doris and Betty and striped skunks Gouda and Pepper Jack. There's also a Jackson's three-horned chameleon named Waldo, a blue-tongued skink named Bluey, a New Guinea blue-tongued skink named Miley and a central Asian tortoise named Natasha. Jon Snow the African pied crow and She-ra the American Kestrel will also join the crew. The aviary says it's already home to more than 500 animals, and the new species highlight the importance of biodiversity in shared ecosystems. "We are beyond thrilled for this recent partnership with the Carnegie Museum and are honored to give ten of their beloved Animal Ambassadors a home with our flock!" Cathy Schlott, director of animal programs and experiences, said in a news release. "We are committed to providing them with the utmost care and are excited for the additional educational opportunities they will allow us to offer to guests."
