Notes from the Field : Celebrating Ridgway's Hawk Day in Dominican Republic

On 25 May 2013 the first Ridgway's Hawk hatched in the wild in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This was a major milestone for our Ridgway's Hawk Conservation Project and a huge step forward in the conservation of this species. Up until we began releasing Ridgway's Hawks in Punta Cana, the only known population was in Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic. This population is small and isolated and therefore extremely vulnerable. So, part of our conservation efforts for this species include creating additional breeding populations in other protected areas in the country. 

We began releasing Ridgway's Hawks in Punta Cana in 2009 and, as is to be expected, there were some successes as well as some setbacks. Several hawks were shot and killed, others were electrocuted on power lines, but many individuals managed to survive and thrive despite the natural and anthropogenic threats they faced. As we worked hard to reduce the human-caused threats - retrofitting powerlines to make them safer for our hawks and all bird species, and beginning an intensive environmental education program in the area - we were also busy tracking the surviving hawks. 

You can imagine our joy when we discovered that two of our released hawks - a one-year old female and a two-year old male, had formed a pair bond. We watched with hopeful anticipation as they assembled their nest. We celebrated when the female began incubating. We nervously monitored their every move - wondering if a one-year old female could reproduce and if this first-time pair would be able to successfully raise a chick. 

To our delight, on May 25th of that year their nestling hatched!

To celebrate this milestone, we declared May 25th as Ridgway's Hawk Day. We are working with the Dominican government to make it official, but while we wait, we continue to celebrate this day with students from nearby communities. This, our third annual celebration, went off without a hitch.  Thanks, in part, to a grant from the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and the support of the Puntacana Ecological Foundation, we were able to bring more than 70 students to Punta Cana for the event. 

We divided the students into small groups and took turns visiting the Ridgway's Hawk release site where students were able to see these hawks up close. We led them on a short birding walk to teach them about water and forest birds. Students worked in small groups to create murals with a conservation theme and finally, we visited the beach where students were able to play games and participate in hands-on activities focused on coral reef protection and food chains. After a wonderful lunch on the beach, students returned back to their communities, already looking forward to next year's celebration.

Of course, this short entry wouldn't be complete without an update on the young hawk who inspired Ridgway's Hawk Day. He has an established territory not far from that of his parents. Last year he found a mate and this year the pair successfully raised one young female hawk who fledged just a few months ago!

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Posted in Notes from the Field by Marta 7 years 8 months ago.

 

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