~ The Peregrine Fund's American Kestrel Partnership

Summary: Data indicate American Kestrel populations are experiencing long-term, sustained declines in North America, but existing data are largely insufficient for understanding the causes.  Citizen and professional scientists continue to generate large quantities of nestbox monitoring data but the limited number and isolated nature of monitoring programs has largely restricted production of large-scale, collaborative research on demography and toxicology.  The Peregrine Fund's new American Kestrel Partnership is an international research network designed to generate data, models, and conservation plans for kestrel habitat and populations in the Western Hemisphere.  The Partnership unites the data-generating capacity of citizen scientists with the data-analysis expertise of professional scientists by promoting research collaboration among citizen scientists, universities, government agencies, conservation organizations, schools, and businesses.  The Partnership also fosters long-term conservation values and appreciation of science by engaging the public with hands-on research experiences.