A baseline study of breeding American kestrels was conducted by SEI on western Fort Bragg from 2003 to 2005.  Kestrels are small raptors which utilize nest boxes and snags for nesting.  It also nests in abandoned RCW cavities in the Sandhills.   Data were collected on the demographics and abundance of nesting kestrels on Fort Bragg.  Blood samples were also obtained from kestrels on Fort Bragg and Eglin Air Force Base in FL to assess genetic relationships between local kestrels and other kestrel subpopulations.  DNA comparisons will be conducted by Haig Laboratories, Inc., and analyses will be incorporated into a comprehensive genetics investigation throughout North and Central America.