Courtesy photo Members of American Heritage Girls Troop WV0356 built American kestral nest boxes for area birds.

Members of the American Heritage Girls Troop WV0356 recently built kestrel nest boxes to benefit the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Boyce, Virginia.

A type of bird, American kestrals are cavity nesters. Members of the species do not excavate their own nest cavities, but use natural nesting spots or old holes created by woodpeckers. The kestrel boxes benefit the bird population, which may find it difficult to secure a sufficient home in which to nest.

American Heritage Girls is a Christian-based scouting organization. Founded in 1995, the organization currently has more than 43,000 members with troops in all 50 states as well as 12 other countries. All girls are eligible for membership while adult leaders must subscribe to a Christian statement of faith.

“We were met with such gratitude,” said Veronica Culley, the mother of one of the troop members. “While, at first, they were worried, expecting us to be bringing them a wounded animal in need of their help, their faces lit up with joy when they saw the kestrel boxes the girls built.”

The American kestrel hunts in open fields or sparse woodland, which are the perfect types of spots to place the kestrel boxes the girls created.

The boxes can be mounted near the open areas the birds frequent. In fact, the nest boxes can be placed on poles, posts or even in trees as high up as 30 feet. The poles and small trees used to hold the boxes can be wrapped with metal flashing or PVC pipe to prevent predators from climbing to attack the birds.

For more information on this local troop, contact Fellowship Bible Church at 304-728-3700.