American Kestrel, photo courtesy of Scott Rashid.
American Kestrels have been in decline for years. During this program Scott will discuss the reasons for the species decline and what the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute (CARRI) is doing as an organization to help the birds increase their numbers. American Kestrels are secondary cavity nesters, which means that they need to nest in a cavity but are unable to create one themselves.
Because American Kestrels use cavities and nest boxes to raise their young, CARRI members and volunteers have built and placed more than 180 nest boxes for these diminutive predators. These boxes are placed on both private and public properties. Several of these boxes have live cameras within.
By monitoring the cameras, researchers can identify almost every aspect of the American Kestrel’s courtship and nesting activities, and they have been able to identify the various prey items that American Kestrels consume.
During the American Kestrel presentation, you will see never before seen videos and photographs of these diminutive raptors’ courtship activities, feeding their young, the growth of the young and what the young do after they leave their nests.
Scott Rashid with Boreal Owl. Photo by Susan Rashid.
Artist, researcher, bird rehabilitator, author, and director of a nonprofit are only a few things that describe Scott Rashid. Scott has been painting, illustrating and writing about birds for over 30 years.
In 2011, Scott created CARRI in Estes Park, Colordo. Members of the nonprofit rehabilitate injured birds found in and around Estes Park and research birds in and around RMNP, Estes Park and the front range of Colorado.
Scott and members of CARRI research many avian species including American Kestrels, Northern Pygmy-Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Great Horned Owls, Boreal Owls, Northern Goshawks and many other species including songbirds and Hummingbirds.
Scott has written and had published six books: Small Mountain Owls; The Great Horned Owl: An In-depth Study; Northern Goshawk, the Gray Ghost; Exploring the World of the Barn Owl; American Kestrel: The Diminutive Raptor; and Small Mountain Owls: Revised and Expanded. He has also written and has published several papers on a variety of avian species. In 2025, Scott was awarded the Champion of Owls Award and entered into the World Owl Hall of Fame by the International Owl Center in Houston Minnesota.
In-Person Gathering - BCAS welcomes everyone back to in-person programs at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder. Doors open at 7 PM for socializing and the program begins at 7:15. While the church is no longer requiring masks, we encourage you to wear your favorite high-quality mask, and we will provide free surgical masks for anyone who needs one. Please stay home if you feel sick, and watch the program on Zoom!
Online Gathering - The meeting room will open at 7:10 PM, and the program starts at 7:15 PM. Questions for the speaker will be taken from the chat feature of the Zoom session.
Zoom info will be posted here by the day of the program.