Conserving the Ridgway's Hawk in Punta Cana, DR

As I walk through the field, I hear two Ridgway’s Hawk vocalizing, emitting courtship sounds. Looking up, I observe the male delivering a lizard to the female, who calmly consumes it before copulating with the male. This can only mean one thing: the nesting season has begun. The months are flying by, and the start to the year is no exception; we can hardly believe that March is already coming to an end. The season has begun quickly, with some pairs of hawks starting incubation as early as February. The first nestlings hatched in early March and are almost ready to be banded. Soon after, they will fledge (leave the nest for the first time), beginning their adventure in the wild.

In Punta Cana, we have identified some new pairs this year, which is very exciting as it indicates that the population continues to grow steadily. It’s impressive to see! In 2019, we monitored approximately 18 territories. This year, we monitor about 35. The hawks have adapted well to this region and their population has been expanding gradually. These first months are crucial for both the hawks and our team. It is essential to monitor the pairs, determine the incubation dates, and the hatch dates of the nestlings. This ensures we can access the nests for treatment and successfully band the young. Banding helps us to identify individual birds, as well as understand their survival rates and dispersal patterns.

We’ve also been working on an exciting project. We are currently finalizing a park-wide census in Los Haitises National Park, research that has not been conducted since the early 2000s. This park, known for its challenging terrain, composed of karst formations and mountains locally called "Mogotes" is difficult to access. Carrying out this census will provide us with a more accurate picture of the Ridgway’s Hawk population that still resides in the area. The experience has been challenging and full of adventure; walking to one of the locator points can take an entire day, and it doesn’t guarantee that we will arrive exactly where the GPS indicates. Despite the challenges, we are excited about the results we will achieve once the census is completed. Despite the complexity of the work, monitoring in this area continues without pause.

We are also carrying out a yearly release (reintroduction) program to create additional populations on the island, just as we did in Punta Cana. We’ve started organizing the transfer of the nestlings that will be released at our most recent release site in Aniana Vargas National Park. This year, we plan to release an additional 25 young hawks. We have hopes that this release will be successful.

In terms of environmental education, our team has done an exceptional job visiting new communities every week. To date this year, they have educated approximately 8,000 people. We have a wide range of activities related to environmental education, such as the Ridgway’s Hawk Day Festival, workshops for educators, conferences, and much more. As part of our educational activities, our Ambassador Hawk program is making progress. The program seeks to train hawks that would not able to survive in the wild (due to injuries or other factors) as ambassador birds. We bring the ambassador hawks to communities and schools to give participants a first-hand experience with live raptors. This helps people to create a personal connection with the birds and inspire them to act in ways that foster their conservation. We have begun flying and training these birds and providing them with enrichment opportunities. This program is crucial as raptors require specific conditions to remain in optimal health.

There is nothing more rewarding than observing the progress of the season, seeing how the eggs hatch, and watching the chicks grow, developing into independent birds.