Turmfalkenprojekt Wien

The Vienna Kestrel Project is organised in a collaboration between the University of Vienna and the Natural History Museum Vienna, and has been investigating the ecology and urban adaptation of kestrels in urban systems since 2010. As the most common raptor in the city, kestrels nest in building cavities and other urban structures, making their breeding activities visible from streets and apartments across Vienna. The project relies on enthusiastic citizen scientists to report kestrel nest locations and breeding observations - especially dates of egg laying, hatching, and fledging - which helps researchers build a comprehensive nest database and track population dynamics. While trained staff and students conduct the handling of birds for ringing and sampling, community members play a key role by observing and documenting the kestrels’ breeding cycles, sharing photos, and increasing public awareness of urban wildlife. In recent years, the Vienna Kestrel Project has expanded to include a high-resolution tracking component as part of ICARUS Birds led by the Max Planck Institute. Using lightweight ICARUS tracking devices that transmit location-time data via the Sigfox antenna network, we can now follow individual kestrels far beyond the breeding season. This allows us to uncover migration routes, post-fledging dispersal, habitat use, hunting behaviour, and causes of mortality in unprecedented detail. By combining long-term citizen science observations with cutting-edge tracking technology, the project provides new insights into how these iconic city dwellers move through, exploit, and survive in increasingly human-dominated landscapes.