BirdFest & Bluegrass Festival

October 7th, 2023

 

BirdFest & Bluegrass 2023 Commemorative Buttons

The 2023 American Kestrel commemorative BirdFest & Bluegrass Buttons are available for $5.00- at:

Season’s Coffee, Tea & Remedies in the Old Liberty Theater

Backyard Bird Shop Vancouver

What is BirdFest & Bluegrass?

BirdFest and Bluegrass is the main event every year that the Friends & the City of Ridgefield put on to bring awareness to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and all that it has to offer. We celebrate the Sandhill Crane returning to the Refuge, a huge stately bird that is endangered in Washington State, and we celebrate everything the Refuge is and what it brings to the community. With endangered species, hundreds of migratory species, an auto tour route, photo blind, walking trails, habitat restoration programs, and so much more – there is a lot to celebrate, and a lot to learn.
We are uniquely fortunate to have the Refuge as a resource right in our own backyard, and by learning not only how to appreciate the beauty, but the necessity of it, you come one step closer to being able to support it.

BirdFest & Bluegrass 2023 Schedule

On behalf of the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and the City of Ridgefield, thank you to everyone who attended, helped with, played music at, and shared the message of BirdFest & Bluegrass 2023!

We will see you next year on Saturday, October 5th, 2024!

BirdFest & Bluegrass Sweatshirts

Get your 2023 Sweatshirt!

Support BirdFest & Bluegrass, celebrate conservation, and commemorate your attendance at the event, Saturday, October 7th, 2023!

This environmentally conscious hoodie uses recycled materials to create a midweight blended fabric. With a wide range of sizes, it’s the perfect match for large groups wanting to minimize their environmental footprint.

 


Please visit local businesses in Ridgefield: Sportsman’s Steakhouse & Saloon, Old Liberty Theater – Season’s Coffee Shop,  Bunnies, El Rancho Viejo, Ridgefield Pioneers Market, Starliner Deli, Ridgefield Floral & Gifts, and Ridgefield Hardware.

BirdFest & Bluegrass is a joint event planned in a partnership between the City of Ridgefield, The US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge that includes in-person self-led activities, crafts, musical performances, shopping, tours, and a Pickers Festival.

2023 Bird of the Year

American Kestrel
Falco sparverius

American Kestrel from the back
American Kestrel by Susan Setterberg

“According to Dr. Brad Tripp, from the Department of Natural Sciences and Health at Warner Pacific College in Portland, who has been running a kestrel nest box project on the Ridgefield NWR since 2004. In those 17+ years he and his students have banded over 200 kestrels.  “American Kestrel populations at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge have declined steadily since 2005 as measured by nest box occupation and productivity. Our data suggests that one reason American Kestrels are declining on the refuge is due to the increase in competition for nesting cavities by European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).” One of the boxes can be seen near the big oak viewed toward the SE from signpost 13.  American Kestrels are declining nationally due to many factors.  Dr. Tripp’s article, published with Ben Durham, explains some of the factors affecting American Kestrel decline.

Here is the link to the article for further details on their study: http://classpages.warnerpacific.edu/BTripp/AK%20Web/default.htm.

If you can read a band, report the finding to the US Geological Survey to further the studies on these wonderful raptors. You can report your findings here:  https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/.”

– Susan Setterberg, Contact Station Volunteer

 

American Kestrel stretching its tailfeathers
American Kestrel by Ken Archer

General information on the American Kestrel:

  • Adult average weight: 4.1 oz (116.2 g).
  • American Kestrels are the smallest and most colorful falcons in North America.
  • They do not build their own nests but instead nest in cavities made by other birds, and in nest boxes built by humans.
  • Widespread throughout the Americas and found in almost every habitat type within their range including fields, cities, deserts, plains, mountains, and tropical lowlands.

 

Breeding:

Male and Female American Kestrels sit next to one another on a refuge boundary sign
Male & Female American Kestrels by Steve Pickering
  • They breed all throughout the Americas, though most commonly in the northern US and Canada.
  • Females normally lay 3-6 eggs in late April or early May.

 

Migration:

  • Canada and US populations can travel as far south as Panama and the Caribbean. Birds breeding on Tierra del Fuego migrate north to the South American mainland before winter begins in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Some Kestrels migrate long distances, while others do not migrate at all.
  • Migration peaks from mid-September through mid-October.

 

Overwintering:

  • Most American Kestrels breeding in North America overwinter in the United States. Many southern populations remain in their breeding grounds.
  • In North America, male Kestrels winter farther north than female Kestrels.
  • In the Northern Hemisphere, Kestrels winter from December to February.

 

Threats/Conservation:

American Kestrel flying with a bug in it's beak
American Kestrel by Brian Allen
  • Although Kestrels are well-adapted to human-dominated environments, decreases in foraging habitats and nest sites and increased urbanization negatively impact them.
  • Insecticides, which can kill kestrels outright, also affect their populations by decreasing the abundance of their prey
  • In some areas, artificial nest boxes allow Kestrels to inhabit new areas and increase their numbers.

 

Source: environmentamericas.org / migratorybirdday.org

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Sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (PK822). For more information, please visit the link below.

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