Breeding populations typically consist of a mix of locally-produced and immigrant birds. Recruitment of locally-produced birds depends on survival and dispersal patterns. American Kestrels breeding in boxes in Southwestern Idaho were marked and monitored from 1992-2006. Over the 14 years of our study, the proportion of locally produced American Kestrels that returned to breed in our study population varied. We hypothesized that factors that affect survival such as weather, physical condition, and parental care and factors that affect dispersal such as size rank (suggestive of social status) and parental lineage would affect recruitment rates. We used a markrecapture model to understand factors that predicted return of nestlings. A small proportion of the kestrels we banded as nestlings (4.8 % of males, 2.7% of females) returned to nest in the study area. Although few birds returned, their contribution to the local population was substantial. Offspring of locally-produced individuals were more likely to return than offspring of immigrants, birds hatched before less severe winters were more likely to return, and individuals that hatched earlier in the breeding season were more likely to survive and return the next year than later hatched birds. To further explore the significance of seasonal effects, we examined nestling and adult morphology from successful nesting attempts. Adult birds that produced young early in the season were larger (in better condition) compared to birds that produced young later in the season, and their nestlings gained weight at a faster pace. These results suggest that parent quality may affect offspring survival (and perhaps dispersal).