The fascinating link between cherry pie and this bird

American kestrels, North America’s smallest falcons, work around the clock to manage pests on some cherry orchards. | Bryant Aardema/Getty Images

If you’re lucky enough to enjoy a warm slice of cherry pie this holiday, you should probably thank this bird.

It’s an American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, which is roughly the size of a blue jay. And in some parts of Michigan — the nation’s tart cherry capital — this bird helps farmers produce cherries.

Key takeaways

New research shows that American kestrels, small birds of prey, can help cherry farmers manage pests that damage their crop.
The raptors may even help reduce contamination in cherry orchards from bird poop.
A wide range of wild predators help fruit farmers manage pests, including falcons, owls, and bats.
Many of these species, including kestrels, are in decline. Farmers can help bring them back, and benefit in the process.

Kestrels are predators, and they prey on insects, rodents, and other birds, many of which eat cherries. So when cherry farmers have kestrel nest boxes in their orchards, they see fewer cherry-eating birds, such as robins and grackles, as one 2018 study revealed. According to that study, farmers can save as much as $357 worth of cherries for every dollar they spend on installing nest boxes, which are essentially elevated wooden birdhouses. If kestrels move in, orchards have fewer bird pests, since the fierce little falcons eat them or scare the pests away.

Now, scientists have published another study that makes the benefits of the raptors even clearer.

It shows that orchards with occupied nest boxes have less damage — less eaten or partially eaten cherries — than those without kestrels. The authors also found that cherry orchards with kestrels had less bird poop.

That’s key, because avian excrement can carry pathogens, such as Campylobacter, a type of bacteria that can give people food poisoning.

The new study is part of a growing body of research on how conserving wild predators benefits humans. Wolves can limit car accidents by........

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