New Publication! π°
Forest-dependent raptors have lost an average of 10% of their habitat since 2001, with only 52% of forest cover remaining, according to a new study: https://bit.ly/3OKiCWW.
Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk π· Amanda HancockΒ
#RaptorResearch #Ornithology
@ebuechley.bsky.social
ποΈ Tune in! Our Southern Africa Program Director, Dr. Corinne Kendall, joined journalists Jeff Barbee and Laurel Neme on The Wildlife Podcast to discuss vulture conservation. https://bit.ly/4rcmXzJ.Β
π· Photo of Corinne by Claire Bracebridge
Happy World Wildlife Day! πππ
From the wetlands of Madagascar and savannas of Kenya to the cliffs of Arizona and tundra of Alaska, we're working tirelessly to conserve birds of prey and the wild landscapes they depend on.
African Fish-eagle π· Carlee Clarke
#raptors #wildlife #birds
When The Peregrine Fund began researching the Ridgway's Hawk in the Dominican Republic in 2000, fewer than 300 individuals were estimated to remain. Today, after 26 years of conservation, the population has more than doubled.Β
Ridgway's Hawk π· Russell Thorstrom
#RaptorResearch #Raptors #Birds
New Publication! π° Surveys of Sooty Falcons Falco concolor wintering in Madagascar in 2023 and 2024
https://bit.ly/4b044ek
Photo by Ahmad Tarek; licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0
Figure 2 from Razafimanjato et al., 2025
#raptorresearch #ornithology
Out now: How to Count Birds π bit.ly/how-to-count-birds
#RaptorResearch #Ornithology
Egg-citing news from our propagation facility in Boise, Idaho! We have our first confirmed California Condor eggs of the 2026 season! The first was laid on January 31st and a second, by another pair, was laid on February 4th.Β
π· Pawoco (60)β & Itaxmay (141)β with their egg
#Raptors #RaptorResearch
Happy Superb Owl Sunday! π¦πΒ
Wrapping up our week-long celebration of superb owls, we highlight the superbly diurnal Northern Pygmy-owl. When thinking about owls, you might consider them nocturnal, but the Northern Pygmy-Owl is active during the day.
#Raptors #Birds
π· Russell Thorstrom
Happy Reverse the Red Day!Β
Reverse the Red is a global movement that ignites strategic cooperation and action to reverse biodiversity loss. When we combine data-driven science with partnership, we reverse extinction. π
www.reversethered.org
Ridgway's Hawk π· Carlos SuΓ‘rez
Superb Owl 5: Eastern Screech-owl, Superbly Stealthy
Today's superb owl: the Eastern Screech-owl. Their streaked brown plumage makes them vanish against tree barkβblending in is their key to survival!
#Raptors #Birds
π· Joanne Muis; licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Superb Owl 4: Great Horned Owl, Superbly Powerful
Today's superb owl is the superbly powerful Great Horned Owl! This nocturnal predator's talons require 28 lbs of force to open. They hunt prey much larger than themselvesβeven skunks, thanks to their poor sense of smell!
#Raptors #Birds
π· Jim Shane
Superb Owl 3: Elf Owl, Superbly Small
Today's superb owl is the superbly small Elf Owl. This tiny raptor weighs less than 0.07 lbsβthat's the average weight of one standard light bulb!
π· Laura Keene; licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
#Raptors #Birds
Superb Owl 2: Great Grey Owl, Superbly Tall
Next up in our Superb Owl lineup is the superbly tall Great Grey Owl! Considered the largest owl in North America and the tallest owl in the world, the Great Grey Owl measures between 2-3 feet in height!
π· Heather Morris
#Raptors #birds
This week, leading up to Superb Owl Sunday (yes, you read that right), we're celebrating some superb owls!Β
We're starting with the Short-eared Owl, which is superbly widespread. This remarkable species is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. π
π· Nick Dean
#Raptors #Birds πͺΆ
California Condor development is extraordinary! From a ~0.6 lb egg to a ~20 lb juvenile in just 7 months!Β
California Condor 1342 as a 5-day-old egg & 7-month-old juvenile π· Kelsey Tatton
#Raptors #RaptorResearch #Birds
A recently-released database called BIRDBASE is the most comprehensive avian trait dataset ever and compiles data on 78 different traits for all 11,589 bird species: https://bit.ly/3YHaDM4
Broad-billed Tody π· Chris Parish
Fig. 2 from ΕekercioΔlu et al. 2025
Congratulations to Conservation Field Biologist Tom Hudson and Research Coordinator Carolina Granthon for winning the Andersen Awards at the 2025 Raptor Research Foundation Conference!
Tom Hudson π· photo by Paul Juergens
Carolina Granthon π· photo by Matthew Danihel
#RaptorResearch
New Publication! π°
A new publication in Journal of Raptor Research summarizes the current status and future priorities for island raptor conservation: https://bit.ly/IslandRaptors
@consciglobal.bsky.socialΒ @hawkmountain.bsky.socialΒ #RaptorResearch #ornithology
Ridgway's Hawks π· Thomas Hayes
NEW PUB: 369 forest-dependent raptor species, on average, have lost 10% of their forest habitat since 2001 and only 52% of forest remains within their ranges. Many species have <25% forest cover left.
@theperegrinefund.bsky.social @globalchangebio.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Crowned Solitary Eagle (also known as a Chaco Eagle)
Photographed by our Madagascar & West Indies Conservation Director, Russell Thorstrom, while on an expedition to Brazil in 2024.
The 2025 California Condor Release livestream starts soon! Tune in now: https://bit.ly/LiveCondorRelease25.
There's always room for another bird shirt in your closetβget your 2025 California Condor Release t-shirt or hoodie now: bit.ly/25CondorTshirt
Shirt design by Emma Regnier
#raptors
Happy International Vulture Awareness Day!
We hope youβll take a moment today to celebrate your local vultures and acknowledge the important role they play in our ecosystems.
#Raptors #RaptorResearch #Ornithology #Birds
Hooded Vulture π· Evan Buechley
The new book State of the Worldβs Raptors, led by Executive Vice President of Science and Conservation Christopher McClure, PhD, provides an original approach to setting priorities for the conservation of raptors across the globe.Β
Pre-order now: https://bit.ly/SotWR25
#RaptorResearch #Ornithology
New Publication! π°
A new publication in Scientific Reports analyzed scavenging community composition and dynamics in dry forests of western Ecuador. Learn what they found: https://bit.ly/45uRP6X
Turkey Vulture π· Sean Pursley
#RaptorResearch #ornithology
New Publication! π°
Tracking solutions to a persistent threat: spatial movement patterns reflect lead exposure in critically endangered California Condors
Ecotoxicology, July 2025
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-025-02921-9
π· Jim Shane
#RaptorResearch #ornithology
Nine hand-reared Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawks released into the wild!
https://bit.ly/3U55sDe
Newly-hatched Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk π· Hana Weaver
Recently-fledged Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk π· Hana Weaver
#RaptorResearch #Birds #Raptors
Have you heard the story of how our Madagascar Program Director Dr. Lily-Arison Rene de Roland rediscovered a duck species which was feared to be extinct? This National Geographic article will have you laughing, gasping, and smiling ear-to-ear.
Just a glorious photo of a Merlin preening in the Dominican Republic, captured by Ridgwayβs Hawk Field Technician (and talented photographer) Carlos SuΓ‘rez.Β
#RaptorResearch #Birds #Raptors
In March, our Madagascar Program teamed up with the Mohamed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund to trap and tag nine Sooty Falcons in Madagascar. After three months of tracking, the data is starting to tell a story: https://bit.ly/3IGmOUI.
π· Munir Virani / MBZ Raptor Fund
#RaptorResearch #Birds
