Meet Some of the African Raptors We Work to Save

A massive vulture, Rüppell's Vultures breed fairly safe on cliffs but are equally vulnerable to poisoning as the other vultures. We have deployed 15 GSM-GPS tracking units on Rüppell's Vultures, allowing us to gain a better understanding of individual movement patterns across habitats, protected and non-protected areas, and even international borders. We also conduct aerial nest searches, to help us determine nesting abundance and success. Over several years we have surveyed the three largest Rüppell’s Vulture breeding and/ or roosting cliffs in Kenya, twice annually, where an average of 300, 250 and 480 individuals were counted.

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The smallest of the African vultures together with the Egyptian vultures, Hooded Vultures are common in human settlements north of the equator, but confined to protected areas in southern Africa. We previously deployed GSM-GPS tracking units on two critically endangered Hooded Vultures in Kenya. Information obtained from tracking these vultures’ movements provides important insight into population threats, areas of highest mortality, key nesting and roosting sites, and other important information necessary to help us conserve this species.

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Lappet-faced Vultures are huge and impressive, especially when pairs chase other vultures off carcasses with their wings spread in a typical threat posture. Populations have dropped by 65% over the past 40 years. We are currently studying nesting behavior of this species in partnership with the Mara Raptor Project. Using a pole camera, we were able to study 47 Lappet-faced Vulture nests. We also GPS track several of these vultures to examine their habitat requirements and survival rates.

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Once a common sight throughout African savannas, White-backed Vultures have vanished in many parts as populations have declined by 75% over the past four decades. In order to better identify areas of highest threats for this species, we have placed 21 GSM-GPS tracking units on White-backed Vultures. Tracking movements of individuals allows us to understand their habitat preferences across the region, dispersal of young birds throughout the East African region and beyond, understanding threats to populations, and identifying mortality hotspots, as well as for the identification of important breeding and roosting areas.

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The largest and most majestic of the African eagles, which feed on young antelope, bustards, hares and gamebirds. Together with the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust and Wageningen University, we are studying Martial Eagles in Kenya’s Masai Mara. PhD student Stratton Hatfield has been tracking 32 resident Martial Eagles to better understand their food and habitat needs, breeding behavior, and threats. We are also GPS tracking Martial Eagles in the Rift Valley, where they face growing threats from persecution and wind turbines. This information will help us develop more effective conservation plans and strategies for the long term protection of these majestic raptors.

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Steppe Eagles resemble Tawny Eagles but breed on Eurasian steppes and migrate to East Africa (and further south) during the northern winter. We started to GPS track Steppe Eagles, as they are sometimes poisoned in Kenya, but rehabilitated and released again. The Steppe Eagles we GPS track breed on steppes in Kazakhstan, where they are vulnerable to encroachment of their habitat. On route to Kenya, they face gunshots, powerlines, wind turbines and poisoned carcasses. Knowing where their mortality occurs will help us address the key threats.

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The other frequent victim of poisonings across Africa, the colorful Bateleur spends most of its time on the wing in its typical low gliding flight. Its decline across the continent is concerning, and it has vanished from many parts of Africa outside protected areas. We monitor breeding pairs in Kenya and are planning a GPS tracking study to investigate their mortality rates and causes.

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The sight of Secretarybirds is another highlight of any safari on East Africa’s grasslands. In partnership with The Peregrine Fund, the Mara Raptor Project is currently monitoring 12 Secretarybird nests in the Masai Mara to better understand nesting biology, habitat needs,  and habits of this species. This will allow us to create more effective conservation management plans for this and other raptor species in the region. We also plan to study them in more detail in other regions of Kenya to know their requirements as they walk long distances in search of prey, moving away when food availability drops

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The most common large, brown African eagle, which has silently disappeared from much of their former range. Tawny Eagles are also scavengers and like vultures, vulnerable to poisoning. We have deployed  GSM-GPS transmitters on 16 Tawny Eagles in the Masai Mara. Tracking these birds allows us to determine where and when mortalities occur in order to address threats wherever possible.

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A large, beautiful owl, the Cape Eagle-owl is seemingly able to adapt well to human encroachment of their highland habitat, but little remains known of their ecology, especially outside of protected areas. We study this species also to understand the impact of trade for belief-based use on the species.

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Wahlberg’s Eagles are Africa’s smallest eagles, and one of few truly migratory African raptors. Each year, monitored pairs breed in East and southern African savannas, where we GPS track their movements to non-breeding areas in Central Africa. This will help understand where they congregate outside the breeding period, and what is driving their declines.

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African Hawk-eagles are among the fiercest and beautiful of Africa’s eagles. We are studying them to better understand the causes for their Africa-wide declines, which likely warrants their future uplisting to Endangered on IUCN’s Red Data List. Like Martial Eagles, these eagles are often killed in retaliation for livestock predation. They have become scarce to rare outside of protected areas across Africa. At present, we are GPS tracking the movements of five Hawk Eagles in Kenya, as well as studying their reproductive rates.

Learn more about the African Hawk-eagle