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Tiny Falcons Guard Cherries: Kestrels Reduce Pest Birds, Droppings and Food-Safety Risk

The study tested American kestrels as a biological deterrent in 16 Michigan sweet cherry orchards, half fitted with kestrel nest boxes. Orchards with active kestrels had far fewer pest birds and about a threefold reduction in bird droppings. Laboratory tests found Campylobacter spp. in roughly 10% of fecal samples, underscoring a potential food-safety concern. Authors suggest nest boxes may both protect crops and support declining kestrel populations.

11:04 PM, 11/27/2025Environment
Tiny Falcons Guard Cherries: Kestrels Reduce Pest Birds, Droppings and Food-Safety Risk

Birds can do more than leave a mess on fruit: they eat fruit, shred foliage and deposit droppings that may carry foodborne pathogens. A new study in the Journal of Applied Ecology tested a low-cost, wildlife-friendly deterrent—American kestrels (Falco sparverius)—to reduce pest-bird activity and in-field contamination in Michigan sweet cherry orchards.

How the study was done

Scientists from Michigan State University surveyed 16 sweet cherry orchards in northern Michigan: eight orchards were fitted with kestrel nest boxes and eight were left without. Researchers walked transects through each orchard to count birds, assess crop damage and collect fresh fecal samples from pest birds captured with fine nets. Laboratory analysis focused on Campylobacter spp., a common bird-borne bacterium that can cause diarrhea in humans.

Key findings

Orchards that hosted active kestrel nest boxes had substantially fewer pest birds and roughly a threefold reduction in bird droppings compared with orchards without kestrels. About 10% of analyzed fecal samples contained Campylobacter spp. While the presence of the bacterium does not prove that harvested fruit would transmit infections, it highlights a plausible food-safety pathway and strengthens the case for keeping pest birds away from crops.

“They're really good at keeping the amount of poop down,” said agroecologist Olivia Smith, a study author, noting the practical benefit for growers.

Implications for growers and conservation

The authors suggest that promoting raptors with nest boxes could deliver multiple wins: reducing crop damage and in-field fecal contamination while supporting American kestrels, a species that has experienced population declines in parts of its range and is of conservation concern. Installing and maintaining nest boxes is relatively low-cost compared with nets or repeated chemical deterrents, and it offers an integrated approach that pairs pest control with wildlife conservation.

In short, encouraging kestrels in orchards may be a practical, dual-benefit strategy—helping protect fruit quality and addressing a potential food-safety risk while aiding a falcon species whose numbers are under pressure in some regions.

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