The unique urbanization of America’s smallest falcon
A haboob forms along the horizon, dust painting the gray clouds into a hazy orange. I was reminded of a scene in the original Twister, rain pattering against the windshield as Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton stare at the approaching storm. A cow picked up and tossed along the screen.
The Reese Air Force Base had been decommissioned in 1997. What was once the pinnacle of Americana had been reduced to a shell of its former shelf, transformed into the Texas Tech University Reese National Security Complex (RNSC.)
It was apocalyptic to say the least.
Our government issued truck rolled to a stop in front of an old airline strip plagued by runway end identifier lights. Pumpkin orange, man-made. At the end of the strip we could see a small, wooden box held up by the edge of a pole.
This box was more than an average bird house. Bird houses are simple. Designed for the pleasure of aesthetic more so than the pleasure of the avian creature that resides within. These boxes, however, were a labor of love. Crafted over the course of a decade, refined by 3-inch screws to prevent wood warping and labeled as “bomb-proof.”
These boxes held one of the most unique and adaptable creatures known to man. Home of America’s smallest falcon, the kestrel.
Kestrels themselves are non-native to West Texas. They appeared in Lubbock over 150-years ago. On average, they have a wingspan encompassing 50-61 cm. Feathers enriched by warm copper tones and beaks sharp enough to dig into the cuticle of one’s thumb to draw blood. These tiny creatures are stubborn and territorial.
What makes kestrels an intriguing species is the nature of their decline within northern regions of the United States. There are many theories surrounding the decrease in kestrel populations. Researchers suspect it could be due to habitat loss, exposure to the West Nile virus, as well as the introduction of larger species into their natural habitats.
So, the question remains, why are they thriving in Texas?
Turbines and Nesting Boxes
Dr. Clint Boal arrived in the Panhandle over 25-years ago.
Originally from Oregon; mountains, lush trees, and red-tailed hawks. He lived in Alaska for three years, and pursued higher education in Arizona. After receiving his Ph.D. he spent some time in Minnesota and when he was offered a job, ended up in the middle of nowhere Lubbock, Texas.
Boal is a Unit Leader of the United States Geological Survey and the Texas Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. When he is not conducting government business, he spends his time assisting in teaching as a professor at Texas Tech University.
In 2013, Boal received a call from the RNSC. They were conducting research on newly established wind turbines and needed a professional opinion on how to manage birds within the area. Boal became invested by the amount of kestrels nesting within cavities on the base. This moment is when Boal came up with the idea to establish a kestrel nesting box program through Texas Tech University.
The present-day drive through the RNSC allowed us to see those three original turbines from all those years ago. Boal chuckled to himself as we passed by, discussing how such a small moment would later define years’ worth of research to come.
Over the course of two-years between 2017 and 2019, Boal conducted a study of the kestrel population growth within the southern high plains region. Through monthly surveys, Boal and his team concluded that on average there was one kestrel per square kilometer within the region.
Kestrels themselves seemingly frequented man-made structures.
Boal went on to describe a personal experience in which he was called into a Target parking lot to assess the best way to remove a kestrel nest from the Target logo sign. According to Boal, the kestrels had begun to attack people walking through the automated door. Swooping down as if the people were nothing more than a horny toad to be caught for dinner.
The Urban Forest
Urbanization is often viewed as a negative connotation for the overhaul of human impact on natural environments.
Deforestation, pollution, and climate change are all linked towards mankind in some way shape or form. As humanity grows, we both intentionally and unintentionally harm various species on our planet.
However, adaptation is at the root of all animals that live long and thrive within the modern era. Boal himself discussed various raptor species and how urbanization has allowed them to grow. Kestrels are a definitive example of this phenomenon in practice.
As stated before, there are multiple theories and examples that showcase their inherent decline across the northern regions. Lubbock is particularly unique due to the fact that it is itself a growing city. People have begun to flock to this region of Texas and have thus established a new habitat that automatically provides kestrels with structure and shelter amid the arid ecosystem.
That’s not to say that kestrels stand to live the test of time in Lubbock, Texas.
Darwinism is ironic at the best of times and cruel at the worst.
Biology of Change
In my initial interview with Boal, he talked about this concept surrounding the biology of change. It is similar to the discussion of urbanization and human impacts on the environment.
When a specific species is lost due to natural selection or external man-made factors, it is often viewed within a negative light. It’s hard to not view those losses without grief or anger. I myself worry about what could be lost within my lifetime.
Most people think of polar bears or penguins, exotic creatures that the average American may never see. I have begun to think about the “everyday” animals. The grackles outside my bedroom window, the prairie dogs that roam near the highway, even the horny toads I spot on my walks in Palo Duro Canyon.
It’s a suffocating feeling to wake up and no longer hear that grackle or birdsong. A blink and something I took for granted is just gone.
I have been overwhelmed at the ways in which society so quickly forgets to care and nurture the species that we live with. However, Boal reassured my concerns and stated clinically, that death is a natural consequence to life.
That’s not to discredit the aforementioned horror of humanity, but rather, species adapt and develop, such in the case of the kestrel.
Kestrels did not exist in Lubbock over 150-years ago. Now, they are just as a part of the ecosystem as college students are to the hub city. Kestrels are not a singular entity. They too are human.
Temperamental, protective, fierce, these little birds are a powerful representation of overcoming hardship.
In a time in which their species is threatened across the rest of the United States, they are thriving within the great expanse of the Llano Estacado. I have grown a great appreciation for a bird that I didn’t know existed up until a few months ago.
Though my time spent with Boal was short, I can say with confidence that this is a man dedicated to his research. His passion and care for these birds that he has provided in the last decade is indicative of his determination to understand why they continue to survive here in West Texas. It may seem arbitrary, but his findings are what have allowed the biology of change to come to fruition.
As I was leaving the RNSC, I had one last question for Boal.
“What’s your favorite bird?”
I could see the crow’s feet of his eyes crinkle as he smiled.
“Whichever one I’m working on.”
*This article was written for the CMI 4301 Texas Tech University On-Assignment Program
