FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Falco sparverius | American Kestrel 



DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS : 
Direct mortality in raptors due to fire is rare [33].  Adults can
probably easily escape fire.  However, fire could directly reduce
American kestrel populations if the fire destoys occupied nest trees.
American kestrels have been reported to be attracted to fire and smoke
in search of prey [30,51].  They have been observed dashing close to
flames, sometimes landing on stumps or fallen branches in thick smoke
[44,49].  Low-severity fires probably have little effect on American
kestrels.  Landers [32] commented that light winter burning probably
does no substantial harm to raptors.


HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS : 
American kestrels occur in the following 10 major fire-dependent plant
associations in the western United States:  grasslands, semidesert
shrub-grasslands, sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-grasslands, chaparral,
pinyon-juniper (Pinus spp.-Juniperus spp.) woodland, ponderosa pine,
Douglas-fir, spruce-fir (Picea spp.-Abies spp.), redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens), and giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) forests
[33].  American kestrels occur in fire-dependent longleaf pine
communities in the eastern United States [26,58].

Although fire may reduce potential nest trees, it may also create snags
for nest and perch sites and enhance the foraging habitat of American
kestrels.  In the Sierra Nevada, nesting American kestrels were two to
three times more numerous in a burned-over forest than in an unburned
forest nearby.  This difference was attributed to the greater
availability of nest cavities in the burned forest [4].  At Sagehen
Creek, California, American kestrels breed (but do not winter) in burned
forests and along edges between sagebrush and forest habitats.  American
kestrels do not use areas of thick cover because they require an open
understory in which to maneuver and visually locate prey.  American
kestrels often use fresh burns when foraging due to increased prey
visibility [16,32,49].  A decrease in the frequency of ground fires
leads to an increase in vegetative cover and, therefore, has a negative
impact on habitat quality for American kestrels [4,26].  In the Sierra
Nevada, Balgooyen [4] found that open areas created by a severe fire in
ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)-red fir (Abies
magnifica) forests provided only temporary habitat for American
kestrels.  Eleven to twelve years after the fire, brush vegetation
including deerbrush (Ceanothus integerrimus) and snowbrush ceanothus (C.
velutinus) formed dense cover in the burned areas [4].

American kestrels are favored by fires that open up or clear
pinyon-juniper woodlands [35].  Raptors associated with pinyon-juniper
woodlands depend upon edges of openings created by fire and scattered
islands of unburned woodlands [16].  In pinyon-juniper woodlands on the
Humboldt National Forest, California, American kestrels were observed
only on burned areas and only during the second season.  Surveys were
conducted in only two seasons [35].

American kestrels congregate at both controlled and naturally occurring
fires to hunt along the edge (usually the windward side) for insects,
small mammals, and reptiles [40,49,57].  Howell [27] reported seeing 13
southeastern American kestrels feeding over a "raging" marsh fire.
During a January fire in scrublands near Immokalee, Florida, 15 American
kestrels were observed hunting along the approximate 492 feet (150 m)
windward edge of the fire.  The linear concentration (1 bird/10 m) was a
hundredfold greater than that on utility lines in the area that same
winter.  American kestrels preyed exclusively on insects which flew away
from the fire into the wind [49].




FIRE USE : 
Prescribed fire can be beneficial to American kestrel populations by
enhancing habitat and increasing the prey base [16,32,33].  In the
sandhills communities of Florida, fire suppression has caused some sites
to have dense understories, particularly of fire-intolerant rosemary
(Ceratiola ericoides).  Such sites may be unsuitable for southeastern
American kestrels and a program of prescribed burning in these habitats
is recommended [58].  Several studies indicate that many prey
populations increase rapidly subsequent to burning in response to
increased food availability [16,32].  Fire suppression in grasslands was
detrimental to small bird and mammal populations due to organic matter
accumulation and reduced plant vigor [55].

Prescribed burning plans should strive for creation of maximum
interspersion of openings and edge, with high vegetative diversity.
Habitats should be maintained in a random mosaic of open areas and
standing trees and snags should be conserved.  In most cases, burning
plans must be integrated with proper range management.  Reseeding of
perennial grasses as well as a period of rest from livestock grazing may
be necessary to achieve desired goals.  Burning should be deferred until
nesting is completed in areas where impact to breeding American kestrels
may occur.  After logging, Benson [6] suggested broadcast burning rather
than piling slash to reduce high temerature fires which may be
destructive to soil organisms and small mammals.  For more information
regarding the use of prescribed fire in specific habitats for the
benefit of raptors, see Dodd [16].


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Falco sparverius | American Kestrel