West Indies Program
in Neotropical Program:Status: Active, started in 2001
All projects within this program:- Cuban Kite (2002 – )
- Grenada Hook-billed Kite (2000 – 2007)
- Ridgway's Hawk Conservation (2000 – )
Background:
This project is the only known conservation effort to save threatened birds of prey in the West Indies -- Caribbean islands that stretch from the southern tip of Florida to the northern coast of Venezuela. Currently, we are focused on the Ridgway’s Hawk, though there are other birds of prey that are rare or endangered in the region.
The Ridgway’s Hawk is endemic to Hispaniola, an island occupied by Haiti and Dominican Republic. We began studying this critically endangered bird of prey in 2000 and in 2007 in partnership with the Hispaniola Ornithological Society. In 2008, we successfully launched an innovative assisted dispersal method that involved moving young wild birds to new protected habitat. Shooting and deforestation are serious challenges, making local education and awareness campaigns also important to recovery.
The number of Cuban Kites, once considered extinct, is severely reduced. Our research on the endangered Grenada Hook-billed Kite shows that its population is relatively stable. Little is known about these kites and the reasons for their declines are not fully understood. More study could provide critical information for the development of effective conservation plans and training of personnel.
Recent Results:
2010 Results
- Eight young hawks were successfully released as part of the assisted dispersal effort at two hack sites, including one that was newly selected to enhance security for release personnel.
- Our partner, the Hispaniola Ornithological Society, presented 27 public awareness programs to 723 people in communities living near the release sites and Los Haitises National Park in Dominican Republic to address habitat degradation and human persecution of Ridgway’s Hawks.
- Society staff, along with trained park guards and local people, supervised the assisted dispersal of young Ridgway’s Hawks.
Assisted dispersal
The Ridgway’s Hawk is now confined mostly to the Dominican Republic in Los Haitises National Park, whose unenforced borders are ignored by local communities. After thoroughly searching, surveying, and monitoring the Ridgway’s Hawk for nearly a decade, we have determined that about 300 individual birds remain. This small and isolated population leaves the species vulnerable to extinction through catastrophic events such as fire, hurricane, or disease, so we began an experimental “assisted dispersal” project to learn if breeding pairs could be reestablished in the species’ former range outside of the national park. Young birds were collected from nests about one week prior to fledging age. They were placed in a release box (a protective aviary) and fed at the release site until they fledged and reached independence.
The first release in 2008 successfully fledged four young hawks on private land owned by Central Romana, Inc., the largest company in Dominican Republic. This site was used again in 2009 and a second release site was added at Punta Cana, a private resort and land holding company.
In 2010 eight young hawks were successfully released again at both sites, but with one of these being a new hack-site selected in 2010 for better security of release personnel and closer to the living quarters of Central Romana’s staff. In April the hack-box was set in place, and three young hawks were released in May.
In July, one of the hawks released in 2009 at Punta Cana was observed 100 m from one of the birds released in 2010, providing evidence of survival and potential success of assisted dispersal as a conservation method.
Public education and awareness
Habitat degradation and human persecution appear to be the primary causes for decline of the Ridgway’s Hawk. We began addressing these problems in 2004 in partnership with the Hispaniola Ornithological Society through a program of public education and awareness. The campaign occurs every year in communities living near the release sites and national park. In 2010, the society presented 27 public awareness programs to 723 people.
Developing local capacity
In Dominican Republic, we are developing local capacity for raptor conservation by supporting and training biological technicians from Los Haitises National Park. Several park guards and local persons from communities bordering the park have received biodiversity and conservation training from Hispaniola Ornithological Society staff and are assisting in monitoring nesting pairs of Ridgway’s Hawks within the park. The society also supervised the assisted dispersal of the young Ridgway’s Hawks to a private and protected forested land holdings owned by Central Romana and Punta Cana.
Project Links:
| Project History | (no field notes) |
| Publications and Data | Other Information |
| Photos and Videos |
Species involved
- Cuban Kite — Chondrohierax wilsonii
- Hook-billed Kite — Chondrohierax uncinatus
- Ridgway's Hawk — Buteo ridgwayi
People involved in this project:
Cooperating Partners:
- Cap Cana
- Central Romana Cooperation, Ltd.
- CITMA
- Fundacíon Mosco Puello, Inc.
- Grenada Government, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Division
- Grupo PuntaCana, S.A.
- National Museum of Natural History of Cuba
- Punta Cana
- Secretaría de Estado de Medío Ambiente y Recurso Naturales
- Sociedad Ornitología de la Hispaniola (SOH)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Wolf Creek Charitable Foundation
Combined Federal Campaign # 10639
