Nest Searching

This species is notoriously difficult to find in the wild, especially in the rugged mountains and dense forests of Puerto Rico.  To locate a hawk’s nest, searches begin at dawn in the early breeding season. Field biologists scan the horizon just above mountain ridges with their binoculars to catch a glimpse of hawks in their courtship displays, which end in a plummeting flight into the forest below into a nesting area. 

Using a rangefinder and a GPS unit, a projected coordinate is determined for the area the hawk disappeared into the forest. Reaching the coordinate in the aftermath of the hurricane has been extremely challenging with all the debris on the forest floor. It can sometimes take days for our field biologists to chop trails to reach ideal habitat. Once a nest is located, we begin monitoring nesting activity throughout the breeding season. By documenting these flights through surveys, the team is able to identify and count the number of occupied territories. Once a pair of hawks is located, we spend hours each week observing from a good distance, so as not to disrupt the nesting pair, taking detailed notes on behavior, prey items brought to the nest, and other birds or wildlife seen in the area. 

After the nestlings hatch, if all goes well, the young birds will quickly develop from down-covered nestlings to fully-feathered young ready to fly from the nest for the first time. Both adults work hard to protect and feed their young. Our team is ready to step in and help to prevent nest predation or to care for the young if anything should happen to the adults.