Conserving the Ridgway's Hawk in Punta Cana, DR

The fifth year of the Ridgeway’s Hawk Conservation Project marks a significant milestone for the Puntacana Ecological Foundation (PCEF) and The Peregrine Fund. Having begun the process of establishinged a concentrated and stable population of Ridgeway’s in the Punta Cana area with year round monitoring carried...

Since the last report in August, 2012, the last hawk that occasionally returned to the hack site to feed has since become completely independent. Volunteer Carlos Cruz left in the beginning of September and in his absence interested local volunteers assumed responsibility for tracking the hawks as they disperse throughout...

The 2012 reintroduced hawks have passed the most delicate phase of their reintroduction and are beginning to define their territories in the Punta Cana area. Of the final two birds reintroduced on May 22nd only one of them still occasionally returns to the hack box for an afternoon meal. All of the rest are now...

Since the last report written in January 2012, significant improvement was made to the hacking site. Invasive overgrowth was cleared between the observation deck and the hack box, simultaneously allowing for better viewing and providing a safer habitat for the newly released birds. The viewing deck was also improved so...

The new year of 2012 has been an especially busy onefor the previously reintroduced Ridgeway’s Hawks to Punta Cana. Immediatelyafter Christmas through the New Year an unprecedented number of birdingtourists came to the PuntaCana Resort & Club to partake in free birdingtours with renowned tropical ornithologist Dr....

The third reintroduction of the Ridgeways Hawk has successfully moved on from the intensive periods of constant observation and intervention. The two biologists from the Hispaniola Ornithological Society assigned to the 2011 program have returned to the United States and now the responsibilities of observation and data...

In 2011, the Ridgway’s Hawk Project continued to monitor nests and collect nestlings for release sites in Punta Cana and Pedro Sanchez.  In all, biologists monitored 37 nests in Los Haitises National Park and chicks were chosen from a total of eight nests.  In addition to monitoring the nests, our team also...

In April 2011, the Ecological Foundation and project partners Peregrine Fund and the Hispaniola Ornithological Society began their third reintroduction of Ridgeway Hawks in Punta Cana. As is with every year, the Hawks and their nesting sites were carefully monitored for months before several chicks were carefully selected...

The most recently reintroduced five Hawks are fast approaching their one year anniversary in their new home here in Punta Cana (and the original group is almost at their 2 year anniversary!) and all seem to be fully adjusted to their new surroundings. In mid-Novemeber an employee of the Hispaniola...

Over the past three months the Reintroduction of the Ridgeway’s Hawk has continued to make significant strides in reestablishing a sustainable population in Punta Cana. The first year of their life is naturally the most critical for the hawks because during this time they have to fully adjust to their new setting,...

In May 2010, the Ecological Foundation and project partners Peregrine Fund and Hispaniolan Ornithological Society conducted the second reintroduction of Ridgway's Hawks in Punta Cana. After months of monitoring nest sites in Los Haitises National Park, an additional five juvenile hawks were transported to Punta Cana....