Mannok relaunch Kestrel Cam for fifth successive year

Camera relaunch allows viewers to watch kestrel pair raising their young in Mannok quarry

MANNOK have relaunched Ireland’s first Kestrel Cam for the fifth year in a row, aiming to raise awareness and interest in the common kestrel.

Kestrel populations are declining in Ireland, and the species is now red-listed, meaning it is at risk of extinction. Through Kestrel Cam – a live-streaming webcam accessible via Mannok’s website – viewers can watch a breeding pair that has returned to nest and raise their young in the company’s quarry.

First launched in 2021, Kestrel Cam was made possible by the installation of two discrete cameras in the nesting site. This initiative, carried out under license from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and in partnership with Netwatch, allows researchers at Queen’s University Belfast to study the birds while raising awareness about kestrel conservation and the protection of Irish wildlife. Ecologist and licensed bird ringer Kez Armstrong studied this nesting pair for her PhD at Queen’s University.

Over the winter, when the birds had vacated the nest, Mannok’s environmental team and Netwatch conducted essential maintenance – cleaning, upgrading, and reinstalling the non-intrusive cameras in their usual nesting location.

Although this kestrel pair has nested in the same nook of Mannok’s quarry face for the past seven years, there is never a guarantee they will return to the same spot. Fortunately, after the pair was seen inspecting their usual nest earlier this year, Kestrel Cam was able to relaunch for its fifth season.