THE PEREGRINE FUNDTHE PEREGRINE FUND

working

to conserve

birds of prey

in nature

summer/fall 2002

newsletter number 33

DIRECTORS

Lee M. BassPresident, Lee M. Bass, Inc.

Robert B. BerryTrustee, Wolf Creek Charitable Foundation, Rancher,Falcon Breeder, and Conservationist

Harry L. BettisRancher

P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D.Professor, University of Washington

Frank M. BondAttorney at Law and Rancher

Robert S. ComstockPresident and CEO,Robert ComstockCompany

Derek J. CraigheadEcologist

Scott A. CrozierSenior Vice President,General Counsel, and Secretary PETsMART, INC

T. Halter CunninghamBusinessExecutive/Investor

Patricia A. DisneyVice Chairman, Shamrock Holdings, Inc.

James H. Enderson, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus ofBiologyThe Colorado College

Caroline A. ForgasonPartner, Groves-AlexanderGroup LLC

Z. Wayne Griffin, Jr.Developer, G&N Management, Inc.

Robert Wood Johnson IVChairman and CEO,The Johnson Company, Inc., andNew York Jets LLC

Jacobo LacsInternational Businessman andConservationist

Patricia B. ManigaultConservationist andRancher

Velma V. MorrisonPresident, Harry W.Morrison Foundation

Ruth O. MutchInvestor

Morlan W. NelsonNaturalist, Hydrologist, and Cinematographer

Ian Newton, D.Phil., D.Sc.Senior Ornithologist(Ret.)Natural EnvironmentResearch CouncilUnited Kingdom

Thomas T. NicholsonRancher andLandowner

Lucia L. Severinghaus, Ph.D.Research FellowInstitute of Zoology,Academia SinicaTaiwan

R. Beauregard TurnerFish and WildlifeManagerTurner Enterprises

William E. Wade, Jr.President (Ret.),Atlantic RichfieldCompany

James D. WeaverPresident, GrasslansCharitable Foundationand Rancher

P.A.B. Widener, Jr.Rancher and Investor

Board of Directors of The Peregrine Fund

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

D. James NelsonChairman of theBoard and DirectorPresident, NelsonConstruction Company

Paxson H. OffieldVice Chairman of theBoard and DirectorChairman of theBoard and CEO, Santa Catalina IslandCompany

William A. Burnham, Ph.D.President and Director

J. Peter JennyVice President

Jeffrey R. CilekVice President

Karen J. HixonTreasurer and DirectorConservationist

Ronald C. YankeSecretary and DirectorPresident, YankeMachine Shop, Inc.

Tom J. Cade, Ph.D.Founding Chairmanand DirectorProfessor Emeritus ofOrnithology, CornellUniversity

Roy E. DisneyChairman of theBoard, Emeritus, andDirectorVice Chairman, TheWalt Disney CompanyChairman of theBoard, ShamrockHoldings, Inc.

Henry M. Paulson, Jr.Chairman of the Board,Emeritus, and DirectorChairman and ChiefExecutive Officer, The Goldman SachsGroup, Inc.

Julie A. WrigleyChairman of the Board,Emeritus, and DirectorChairman and CEO,Wrigley InvestmentsLLC

How far would you go to save a species?

Take your conservation efforts to a higher plane. Make a tax-deductible donation to The Peregrine Fund today. Visit our website at www.peregrinefund.org or return the enclosed envelope with your contribution.

Chances are, we’ve

already been there.

Since its humble

beginnings in a barn

in upstate New York,

The Peregrine Fund

has reached out to

over 55 countries

and more than

100 species

of birds.

Thanks to your

partnership, we’ll

continue to reach

new heights in the

years to come.

Kur

t B

urnh

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THE PEREGRINE FUNDN E W S L E T T E R N O . 3 3 • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 0 2

The PeregrineFund Staff

UNITED STATES

Linda BehrmanRoy BrittonBill BurnhamKurt K. BurnhamPat BurnhamJack CaffertyCraig CarpenterJeff CilekDonna DanielsNancy FreutelErin GottBill HeinrichGrainger HuntJ. Peter JennyRuss JonesLloyd KiffPaul MaloneKim MiddletonAngel MontoyaAmel MusticBrian MutchTrish NixonNedim OmerbegovicSophie OsbornChris ParishCarol PettersenDalibor PongsRob RoseCal SandfortAmy SiedenstrangRandy StevensRussell ThorstromRandy TownsendRick WatsonDave WhitacreChris Woods

ArchivistS. Kent Carnie

INTERNATIONAL

Aristide Andrianarimisa

Francisco BarriosAdrien BatouBerthin BeNoel Augustin Bonhomme

Marta CurtiEloi (Lala) FanamehaPróspero GaitônMartin GilbertMargarita GordonNoel GuerraRon HartleyKathia HerreraLoukman KalavahaEugéne LadoanyMagaly LinaresJóse de Los SantosLópez

Jules MampiandraMôiseAngel MuelaCharles Rabearivelo(Vola)

JeanneneyRabearivony

Berthine RafarasoaNorbert RajaonariveloJeannette RajesyGérard RakotondravaoYves RakotonirinaGaston RaoelisonChristophe Razafimahatratra

Gilbert RazafimanjatoLova JacquotRazanakoto

Lily-Arison Rene deRoland

Leonardo SalasNadia SuredaSimon ThomsettJamie TobánGilbert TohakyJóse VargasJolanta VillarrealMunir Virani 1

Biologist Ruth Tingayexplores the land ofdancing lemurs,upside-down treesand giant jumpingrats. Her Notes fromthe Field begin onpage 14.

Ruth Tingay

Business Office (208)362-3716 • Fax (208)362-2376 • Interpretive Center (208)362-8687 • tpf@peregrinefund.org • http://www.peregrinefund.org© 2002 • Edited by Bill Burnham • Design © 2002 by Amy Siedenstrang

Aplomado Falcon Recovery Clues about habitat are found on Chihuahuan ranches . . . . . . . 2

California Condor Numbers Reduced Four-year-old Condor 186 intentionally killed . . . . 3

Orange-breasted Falcon Biologists investigate the Western Hemisphere’s rarest falcon. . . . . . . 5

Harpy Eagles and the Neotropical Raptor Center Why people persecute eagles, winners of a naming contest, and improved propagation . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

UPDATE: Grenada Investigation of endangered hook-billed kites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Prayer of the African Fish Eagle Will this sensitive species survive? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

UPDATE: Cape Verde Red Kite Field team succeeds in capturing elusive kites. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Peregrines of North Greenland Range extends further north than expected . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Asian Vulture Crisis Biologists closing in on the causes of massive die-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Notes from the Field Tour the world with our biologists’ personal accounts, from Madagascar to Greenland . . . . . . . . . . . 14

On the cover:A Harpy Eagle,recently desig-nated thenational birdof Panama,feeds its chick.

Photo courtesy ofNeil Rettig Produc-tions, Inc.

Arizona

Pacific Ocean

Gulf ofMexico

New Mexico

Texas

Chihuahua

Research on Aplomado Falcons in Northern

2

Releasing captive-bredfalcons and monitoringtheir growing popula-

tion in Texas is only part of The Pere-grine Fund’s overall effort with theNorthern Aplomado Falcon. In 1992Angel Montoya located a small breedingpopulation of some 30 pairs of Aplo-mado Falcons in the desert grasslands ofnorthern Chihuahua. The following yearhe conducted the first research on thefalcon’s breeding biology, home range,and diet in the Chihuahuan desert.Since then, The Peregrine Fund has beenmonitoring the breeding activities ofthis population in cooperation withUniversidad Autonoma de Chihuahuaand others. During this time, each terri-tory was visited twice a month fromFebruary to July.

The core breeding grounds for the fal-cons exist on magnificent cattle ranches,which have been under the long-termand expert management of the Baeza andBorunda families. The stated goal of theBaeza family is to “try to make the grass-land better each year.” A testament to theBaeza family’s land stewardship is notonly the presence of Aplomado Falcons,but also that their ranch supports one ofthe last remaining herds of prong-hornedantelope in Mexico.

This population of falcons is uniquein spite of its small size. Located lessthan 100 miles from the United Statesborder, it remains the most northernknown population in Mexico and theclosest to our reintroduction effort inTexas. Despite repeated efforts, otherpopulations have not been located inother areas of northern Mexico.

The reproductive rate of this popula-tion has steadily declined in recentyears, from 1.25 young fledged per occu-pied territory in 1996 to 0.81 youngfledged per occupied territory in 2001. In1996 and 1997, nest failure onlyoccurred during the incubation stage,but in 1998 we began to observenestling mortality with rates as high as50 percent in 2000. The number ofbreeding pairs also declined from 30pairs in 1992 to 26 pairs in 2001. Thesedeclines are believed to be associatedwith drought conditions affecting many

Angel Montoya& Peter Jenny

Aplomado Falcon chicks.

Erin

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grassland bird species in the region. Thisyear as part of his masters thesis, MexicanPeregrine Fund biologist Alberto Macias

was able to locate 25pairs of falcons whichfledged a total of 21young (0.84 young pernest).

Because habitatmodification isthought to havecaused, or at leastcontributed to, theextirpation of theAplomado Falcon indesert grasslands ofthe southwesternUnited States, ourstudies since 1996have included datacharacterizing thevegetation type andstructure within fal-con nesting territoriesin Chihuahua. Withthis large amount of

information we are seeking to evaluatehabitat effects on reproductive success.

Surveys of the prey base have alsobeen conducted annually since 1998,revealing a trend of decreasing numbersof grassland birds in Aplomado Falconbreeding territories. We believe that preyavailability is one of the major factorsaffecting the reproductive success of thisfalcon species. Alberto Macias has sub-mitted a manuscript for publication onthe details of this work.

California CondorIntentionally Killed

The world population ofCalifornia

Condors lost a potentiallyimportant member—Cali-fornia Condor 186. One ofthe 34 free-flying condorswe released in northern Ari-zona was killed by an as yetunknown individual(s).

Between 28 and 30August 2002 the condorwas intentionally killed onthe Kaibab National Forestin northern Arizona. Con-dor 186 was a male hatchedat the Los Angeles Zoo on15 April 1998. We releasedhim at our Hurricane Cliffs,Arizona release site thatyear on 15 November alongwith eight other condorsafter they were held at thesite for about a month. Acondor’s first year of life isconsidered the most dan-gerous as they learn about theirnatural world and what wehumans have added, withwhich they must also contend.Coyotes and Golden Eagleshave been the major cause ofdeath, however, and particu-larly for inexperienced condors.Having survived to four yearsold we expected Condor 186not only to live, but to beginbreeding within the next two orthree years. This intentionalkilling is a very unfortunateand unacceptable event.

A reward has been offeredby The Peregrine Fund up to amaximum total of $10,000 forinformation leading to thearrest and conviction of the per-son or persons killing this con-dor. The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService and the Arizona Gameand Fish Operation Game Thiefhave announced rewards total-ing an additional $11,000.

Bill Heinrich

3

CALIFORNIA CONDOR POPULATION1 October 2002

CAPTIVELos Angeles Zoo 33San Diego Wild Animal Park 35World Center for Birds of Prey, Boise 46Pre-release birds in field pens 15TOTAL CAPTIVE POPULATION 129

WILDSouthern California—released birds (3 of which are nestlings) 23Central California—released birds 17

Arizona 33TOTAL WILD POPULATION 73

TOTAL POPULATION 202

Mexico

…it remainsthe mostnorthernknown popu-lation inMexico, andthe closest toour reintro-duction effortin Texas.

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Alberto Macias (center) studies AplomadoFalcons with the assistance of two local resi-dents in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The Orange-breasted Falcon is among theworld’s least known and rarest falcons.Although thought to inhabit an enor-

mous breeding range throughout Central and SouthAmerica, and possibly southeast Mexico or Guatemalato Paraguay and northern Argentina, the species issparsely distributed, difficult to detect, and potentiallythreatened by habitat alteration and associated rangeexpansion of avian competitors. Particularly in CentralAmerica, it is possible that the species has been lostfrom large parts of its former or presumed breedingrange. The Orange-breasted Falcon warrants specialconcern due to probable population declines andgenetic isolation of knownpopulations in northern Cen-tral America from likely largerpopulations in South America.

The Peregrine Fund’sinvolvement with theOrange-breasted Falconbegan in 1979 when PeterJenny began research on thespecies. Our initial interestwas to obtain basic informa-tion on the falcon’s biology,ecology, and behavior. Petemade the first systematicobservations on this speciesin Guatemala and Ecuador.He observed 35 differentOrange-breasted Falcons dur-ing nine field trips between1979 and 1983 in those twocountries. Unlike the falconshe found nesting on cliffs inGuatemala, those in Ecuador(eight sites) were nesting in epiphytic growths in largeemergent trees. By 1983, however, none of the tree-nest-ing falcons could be located as most of the trees weregone and the habitat near those which remained hadbeen greatly degraded.

Surveys occurred at many of the known nest sites inGuatemala from 1986-1989. Beginning in 1991, weincreased our research emphasis on this species.Headed by Aaron Baker, between 1992 and 1997 westudied this species at 19 nest sites in Guatemala andBelize. The research results suggested this population,although small, appeared to be stable.

In 1999 we shifted our studies to Honduras wheresubstantial areas of habitat apparently suitable forOrange-breasted Falcons exist among the limestonemountains of the Departments of Olancho (Sierra deAgalta) and Gracias a Dios (Sierra del Warunta). Obser-vations of this species from Honduras were limited,

however, with the last confirmed Orange-breasted Fal-con sighting being from 1937 near Tegucigalpa. Ourbiologists, David Anderson, Russell Thorstrom, andRick Watson, conducted exhaustive searches in 1999 tolocate this species in the Sierra del Warunta range inHonduras, but they failed to find any.

The absence of Orange-breasted Falcons from suit-able habitat in Honduras raised the very real possibilitythat the species may have declined in Central Americadue to some catastrophic or chronic problem. As aresult, project aims were expanded to answer the ques-tions: (1) is the Orange-breasted Falcon distribution inCentral America substantially disjunct from that in

South America, and (2) does the area of suitable habitatin Central America that is not occupied indicate thatconservation action, such as reintroduction, may bene-fit the species’ survival in this important part of its range?

To answer these questions, biologists Aaron Bakerand Serena Ayers joined The Peregrine Fund in February2000 to complete a survey of suitable habitat in CentralAmerica for Orange-breasted Falcons. Having com-pleted his Master’s degree in raptor biology at BoiseState University studying the behavior and ecology ofOrange-breasted Falcons, Aaron was well prepared toconduct this broad survey throughout the CentralAmerican isthmus. Over the next several months Aaronand Serena accomplished ground and aerial surveys forthe falcon in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, CostaRica, and Panama. Russell Thorstrom and other biolo-gists also participated in the surveys in Panama. All sur-veys were in likely habitat based on past knowledge. No

Bill Burnham

44

Orange-breasted Falcon Investigation

Incubating femaleOrange-breasted Falcon.

It does appear thatconsiderablevacant, suitable look-ing habitat for Orange-breasted Falcons existsin certainareas of Central America.

Ang

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Orange-breasted Falcons were seen south of Belize andGuatemala until Panama, where two locations werefound with falcons. In 2001 the survey was expanded inPanama and four nesting pairs were located. Despitefurther survey work in 2002, Orange-breasted Falconswere only seen at the same locations. We had answeredour first question—the Orange-breasted Falcon popula-tion in Central America is disjunct from that in SouthAmerica.

The second question, as to whether suitable vacanthabitat exists and are conservation actions needed, wasalso largely answered. It does appear that considerablevacant, suitable looking habitat for Orange-breastedFalcons exists in certain areas of Central America, andconservation actions should be considered.

Exploring potential conservation actions was thenext step. Monitoring the four nests we discovered inPanama, we found all pairs laid eggs, but only two totalyoung were produced in 2001. When eyries wereclimbed into we found addled eggs from previous yearsin two sites. We had no idea why the eggs were nothatching. Were the eggs infertile, or fertile and for somereason not hatching? To try to determine whether theeggs are fertile and hatchable and to explore simultane-ously the potential for using “double-clutching” as amanagement technique, in 2002 we removed the firstclutches (three eggs each) of eggs during incubation atthe four falcon eyries. All eggs were fertile and 100%hatched in our laboratory. These young were retained toestablish a captive breeding population (we hatchedand raised the first-ever captive-produced Orange-breasted Falcons at our Cornell University facility in1985). Three of the four pairs from which eggs wereremoved re-nested, one hatched at least two young, andone was observed near fledging age. We now know thereason the Orange-breasted Falcons’ eggs in Panama arenot hatching in the wild is not because of infertility orotherwise laying unhatchable eggs. Other causes mustexist for low hatchability and reproduction at the eyries,which we will investigate. We also know “doubleclutching” is a tool which can be used to enhance num-bers of young available for management actions.

Genetic analysis and comparison of small bloodsamples from the young falcons held in captivity andsmall pieces of tissue from museum specimens andblood we hope to collect from falcons nesting inGuatemala and Belize will be accomplished. We willexamine the amount of variation within the geneticsamples from the northern and southern populationsand between the populations. These results will provideinsight for possible future conservation actions, toinclude potential release of captive-produced young tothe wild to establish breeding falcons where they arenow absent but habitat exists.

5

Continues The Story Is Told:

Peregrine Restoration, the Book

The Peregrine Falcon restoration effort is the largestand most comprehensive endeavor to restore viablewild populations of an endangered species ever

accomplished. The magnitude of the accomplishment and level ofcooperation achieved are unique in nature conservation. A newbook nearing completion documents why and how this effort wasachieved and will serve as an example to others of what can bedone when people are willing to set aside their differences andwork cooperatively toward a single objective. The book should havea broad audience, including raptor enthusiasts, academics, govern-ment, and all people interested in birds, conservation, and endan-gered species.

This book contains the story of Peregrine Falcon restoration inNorth America. It is written by over 60 key people with long-terminvolvement. The story is presented chronologically and topically.Chapter authors cover certain topics as well as provide their ownpersonal stories and poignant anecdotes. Most chapters includeshort essays (sidebars) by others who were involved. Hundreds ofphotographs (black and white and color) help illustrate and docu-

ment the program, which extended for over 35years. A list of hack site attendants for the UnitedStates and Canada is included.

The text, about 200,000 words, 21 chapters,and 50 sidebars, although mostly written in apopular first person style, contains a great deal ofunique information about the Peregrine Falconand the recovery program. A chapter written byrenowned British scientist, Ian Newton, docu-ments the contribution of the restoration pro-gram to the understanding of the Peregrine andgenerally summarizes what is known about the

species from a scientific perspective. Anextensive literature cited section is

included along with a list of scientificand common names of birds andother animals mentioned.

The book will be published in alarge format (~10 in x 13 in) withphotographs scattered throughout thetext. A special effort has been made toobtain high quality and historicalphotographs illustrating the restora-tion effort and the Peregrine. Candidimages and short biographies ofcontributors accompany each chap-ter and sidebar.

Bill Burnham

Hundreds ofphotographshelp illustrateand documentthe program,whichextended for over 35years.

Mid-summer: after several days of searching we found James, a male

Harpy Eagle we had released onBarro Colorado Island. James had been shot and mor-tally wounded. He died just a few days later. Whensomething like this happens we can only ask, “Whywould someone do that?” James’ shooting underscoredthe need to learn more about the attitudes ordinarypeople have towards birds of prey, and Harpy Eagles inparticular. It was evident that an education strategy wasneeded to reduce the conflict and increase the benefitsof our conservation endeavor.

In early 2002, Kathia Herrera and I visited four ruralvillages in the Panama Canal basin to learn why people

kill Harpy Eagles and what we could do about it. Weinterviewed 344 residents aged from 15 to 95 years intheir homes and documented their attitudes toward theHarpy Eagle and its conservation, their appreciation forthe environment, and their willingness to participate ineducation programs. Most of the people were extraordi-narily receptive to us, even if it was only because ofcuriosity, and provided answers to our questions. Themost common responses to the question of why theythought people kill Harpy Eagles were because peopledo not know what they are (21%), out of fear (17%), inthe belief that they eat domestic animals (11%), and outof malice (9%). The least common reasons were thebelief that they eat people, in order to keep their talons,to keep or sell their feathers, to keep them as pets, andout of curiosity.

The survey results not only confirmed the need forcommunity education, but also conferred upon us theresponsibility of developing strategies to create positivefeelings towards birds of prey, and to provide accurateinformation needed to achieve this goal. It was encour-aging that most people (94%) already had an apprecia-tion of the Harpy Eagle, due in part to its recently beingdeclared Panama’s national bird. It was also encourag-ing that most people (93%) were interested in futureeducational programs and 77% said they would be will-ing to participate.

In the past eight months, the Neotropical Environ-mental Education Program has been working hard toengage adults and children of rural, indigenous, andurban communities of Panama. We are constantly visit-ing communities and conducting educational activitiesthat resonate with the audiences. We have obtained thesupport of the government, other scientific institutionsand organizations, private enterprises, the media, andmost important, the general public.

Coincidentally, on the morning of 14 August 2002,almost two years after James died, we took Pannabaand Sulub, female and male young Harpy Eagles, to ahack site at the heart of Soberania National Park. Justbefore leaving the hack site, we took a last glance atthem, and those two faces filled our hearts with mixedemotions. First, with the knowledge that we can notcompletely safeguard their future, but at the same timewith the hope that one day we will return to Soberaniaand find them living in the forest free of humanthreats.

The Fondo Peregrino-Panamá (The Peregrine Fund-Panama) is devoted to securing a future for Pannaba,Sulub, and more eagles by spreading the message toPanamanians that will help them to learn to respect,protect, and love the Harpy Eagle, their national bird. Itwill be then that we have an answer to another ques-tion, “Why are people proud of Harpy Eagles?”

Ursula Valdez

Why Do People Persecute Harpy Eagles?

6

Illegally-captured HarpyEagle chainedto a tree, laterrescued by ourbiologists.

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These past months have been loadedwith hectic work days but were also fullof enthusiasm. This enthusiasm has

been shared not only by the Fondo Peregrino-Panamástaff, but also by our local partners and mainly by hun-dreds of students who participated in the contest, Namea Harpy Eagle and Become a Scientist for a Day.

The idea of a naming contest originated in Januaryof 2002 as a result of the great news of having the first-ever captive-bred Harpy Eagle hatched in Panama, andin our breeding facilities! Soon after, we were greatlysurprised when more eggs were laid and more HarpyEagle chicks were hatched at the center. Our biggest sat-isfaction and mission is not only to reproduce HarpyEagles in captivity, but also to work hard to ensure thatin the future they fly free in the tropical rainforests ofPanama. To achieve this goal we certainly need the par-ticipation of more Panamanians in the process. Thetime was perfect to share our success and conduct aneducational activity in which we could involve morepeople and institutions in our Harpy Eagle conserva-tion efforts.

What better start than inviting students from pri-mary schools in the Panama province to participate inthis original naming contest? We worked hard prepar-ing contest materials, and it was gratifying that in coor-dination with the Ministry of Education we were ableto send invitation packages to more than 700 schools inthe area. As a reward, we received 308 name proposalsfrom the finalists of internal contests at many partici-pating schools.

Then came the day to choose the 10 winners of thecontest. We assembled an enthusiastic voting panel ofjudges formed by representatives of the Panama CanalAuthority, the National Environment Authority, theMinistry of Education, the Ecological Police, the City ofKnowledge, USAID, Patronato Amigos del AguilaHarpia, and Jaco Lacs, a Board member of The Pere-grine Fund. They chose the 10 winners of the contest.The judges had a hard time selecting among the manycreative and original names, and even more among themeaningful paragraphs the students wrote explainingthe reason for their choice.

And...the winners are..!!! Our first Harpy Eaglechick hatched in Panama, a female, received the nameof Pannaba, a word for Panama in the Kuna language.Other female names selected were Flora, because of theimportant relationship between Harpies and trees,Amistad to symbolize friendship and peace among ani-mals and humans, Huri, a mythological name thatmeans beautiful woman, related to “harpy,” meaning

woman with the body of a bird, and Soberania to sym-bolize the freedom and sovereignty of Panama and itspeople. We also have names for male Harpy chicks andthey are: Sulub, meaning eagle in the Kuna language;Yala Purba, also in Kuna meaning soul of the Earth;Millennium, to denote that while people are facingmany challenges in this new millennium, the HarpyEagle faces the biggest challenge: to survive; Urraca inhonor of a national hero who fought for the freedomof Panama; and Centenario to honor the 100 yearanniversary of the independence of the Republic ofPanama.

The big day arrived on the 24th of June when we allcame together in a formal award ceremony—the con-test winners, teachers, parents, representatives of institu-tions, the judges, the press, and many more people. Allthe students received certificates, Fondo Peregrino-Panamá hats and t-shirts, and each of them had aphoto session with our Harpy Eagle used for education.They also won a special visit by the Harpy Eagle to theirschools. However, the most singular prize is that thewinners will have the opportunity to spend a day withour biologists as they conduct their daily activities. It wasgreat to see the anticipation and enthusiasm that thesestudents showed about this experience; undoubtedly it issomething they will remember the rest of their lives.

After this experience we feel that we made a littlestep forward in our mission. But more than anythingwe have the satisfaction that many young studentslearned something new about their national bird andthat a seed of love for this magnificent bird was plantedin their hearts. We certainly have a long and a difficultpath ahead of us, but only with the help of Panamani-ans of all ages will we be able to save Panama’snational bird, the Harpy Eagle.

Ursula Valdez

Harpy Eagle Chicks Named by Panamanian School Students

…many youngstudentslearnedsomethingnew abouttheir nationalbird, and aseed of lovefor this mag-nificent birdwas plantedin theirhearts.

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Angel Muela addresses a groupof Panamanian school children.

The Harpy Eagle is a wildlife flagshipspecies synonymous with conservationof lowland Neotropical forests from

southern Mexico to Argentina. The Peregrine Fund’sinterest in this species and other large tropical foresteagles has been long term. Through our field researchwe discovered that as a result of human persecution,the Harpy Eagle, and probably most other large foresteagles, tends to be lost from tropical forests even beforetrees are cut and the habitat is degraded. The conserva-tion of this species cannot be achieved only by conserv-

ing its forest habitat; we must alsoconvince people not to kill them. Toachieve this we have initiated an educa-tion program (see Why Do People Perse-cute Harpy Eagles?). But viablepopulations of Harpy Eagles have alreadybeen extirpated throughout most of themiddle Americas, even in many placeswhere apparently suitable forest habitatexists. The goal of our captive propaga-

tion and release program for Harpy Eagles is to bolsterremnant and re-establish lost populations of HarpyEagles wherever suitable unoccupied habitat remains.The program also provides important information onrestoration of large tropical forest raptors. For example,management techniques developed for the Harpy Eaglemay also benefit the Philippine Eagle and other largeforest eagles in jeopardy worldwide.

We began working towards captive propagation ofHarpy Eagles in 1989 when the first eagle was broughtto the World Center for Birds of Prey. It was not until1994 that we had a pair produce the first fertile eggs. Topropagate tropical species in the temperate climate of

Boise, Idaho, we constructed the Gerald D. and KathrynSwim Herrick Tropical Raptor Building. The first youngHarpy Eagle was hatched and raised there in 1995.From 1994 to 2001 we incubated 37 fertile eggs, butonly 10 hatched and nine of them survived. Despite ourbest efforts, using a combination of both natural andartificial incubation of eggs, variation in vitaminenriched diets, and by varying management of theadults, we could not improve on the production ofyoung. By the late 1990s we were convinced that toachieve the level of breeding success we desired for aneffective restoration program, we needed to provideoutdoor facilities in a warmer, sunlit, and humid envi-ronment. This could be achieved in environmentallywarmer areas of the United States, but our past experi-ence with obtaining permits from the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service, including CITES (Convention on Inter-national Trade of Endangered Species), made us believeit was unrealistic to think effective captive hands-onmanagement for species abroad could be accomplishedwith birds bred in the United States. Instead, weinvested in a tropical raptor propagation and researchfacility in Panama and moved our breeding pairs ofHarpy Eagles from Idaho to our new facility in Panama,the Neotropical Raptor Center.

Our first eagles arrived at the Panama facility inOctober 2000 and 14 months later, in January 2002,their first two eggs hatched. Since then, in just eightmonths, another seven thriving eaglets have been pro-duced and five more fertile eggs have been laid, four ofwhich are in the incubators, and one died while underthe parents. This immediate change in breeding successrate exceeded our wildest expectations! In Panama,chicks hatched without human assistance and emergedfrom their shell strong and robust, whereas we previ-ously had to remove the weak eaglets physically fromtheir shells because they could not hatch without help.Before this move, we were fortunate to raise one or twoyoung each year from a pair of eagles. Now it seemsthat, with careful management, four to six young perpair may be possible.

Of course, this sudden change in success creates anew challenge. At the appropriate age, eaglets must bemoved to the release locations and hacked back intothe wild, a task that can take months of field work toachieve. We are working hard to develop release meth-ods that maximize the chances for survival and repro-duction in the wild by our released birds while alsobeing economically viable.

We thank our friends, cooperating organizationsand agencies, and donors for making establishment ofthe Neotropical Raptor Center and conservation actionsfor the Harpy Eagle possible.

Bill Burnham

Harpy Eagle Propagation Improves in theNew Neotropical Raptor Center, Panama

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In the West Indies the Grenada Hook-billed Kite, Cuban Kite, Gundlach’sHawk, and Ridgway’s Hawk are consid-

ered rare or endangered. The Peregrine Fund is engagedin projects focused on these species. Here we provide abrief update on the Grenada Hook-billed Kite.

The Grenada Hook-billed Kite is a subspecies ofhook-billed kite found only on Grenada, a small six by21 mile (310 km2 in area) island and the southernmostisland (12° N, 61° W) of the Lesser Antilles. This insularkite was thought to be extinct at one time but is nowknown to exist in small numbers and is regarded asendangered. The earliest historical report describedthem as “not numerous” and mostly found near theseacoast, and virtually all records since have come fromeither the southwest and south coast or a small dry areaaround Levera Pond in the northeast. In June 1980, dur-ing one brief survey, researchers saw at least eight birdsin Grand Anse, Beaton, and other areas of the southerndry woodlands, described aspects of the kites’ feedingbehavior, and located one pair nest building, but other-wise there has been no study of either its diet or nestingbehavior.

Prior to The Peregrine Fund’s project,the most recent surveys of this kite were

concentrated in the drier southwestpeninsula and the northeast tip of the

island and revealed a total estimatedpopulation of about 30 birds in July

1987. No systematic survey ofthe entire island

has ever been made. Presently, the taxonomic status isunclear. The question remains whether this is anendangered subspecies or species. We began a conserva-tion and research project focused on this bird in 2000with Edward Massiah, a multi-year volunteer from Bar-bados and a keen birder.

We discovered the Grenada Hook-billed Kiteappears tolerant of habitat that contains a mixture ofnative, introduced, and ornamental tree species, whichcomprise the predominant habitat found around thecity of St. Georges. The steep wooded slopes aroundSt. Georges, with stands of tall large-boughed trees,seem to be preferred nesting locations. The mostimportant discovery in this study was of several kitesutilizing rainforest habitat away from the southwesternxeric woodlands. Nesting activity has been seen onforested slopes of Mt. Parnassus in both February andAugust and in rainforest near Palmiste Lake on the westcoast in February. Both are entirely new locations forthe species. Finding that kites use rainforest and forestslopes up to 400 meters means that there are manyother areas of suitable forest habitat in Grenada thatcould contain kites. From our surveys to date we esti-mate the current population of Grenada Hook-billedKites to be at least 40 individuals.

By recommendation from an independentresearcher on the Grenada Dove and Dry Forest Project,and Michael Jessamy with the Department of Forestryand National Parks, we have selected DesmondMcQueen as a Peregrine Fund trainee to begin studyingGrenada Hook-billed Kites. His job will be to search forpairs and nests, recording kite sightings and monitoringthe population. In 2002 we were eager to teach what wehave learned about the kite in Grenada to Desmond.After a long meeting with the Department of Forestrywe introduced Desmond to two nest sites we had dis-covered in the previous days.

We aim to prevent extinction of the endangeredGrenada Hook-billed Kite, assist the Forestry

Department by developinga means to monitor and

evaluate conservation of theGrenada Hook-billed Kite, and to

develop local capacity for conservation through stu-dent and technician training and public awareness.

Russell Thorstrom

UPDATE:Grenada Hook-billed Kite Project

Fledgling Grenada Hook-billed Kite.

Rus

sell

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omGiving

is simple.• Arrange an automatic

payroll deduction… manyemployers will match yourcharitable contributions!We are a member of EarthShare and participate inthe Combined Federal Campaign (#0945). Formore information, seeyour employer’s personnelrepresentative, check ourwebsite, or call Linda at(208) 362-3716.

• Visit our website,www.peregrinefund.org,and click on “How you canhelp” to make a donationthrough our secure server.

• Browse our gift shop–in person, online, and on the last page of thisnewsletter. All purchasessupport our projects!

• Send your check, moneyorder, or credit card infor-mation in the envelopeenclosed in this newsletter.

• Many planned givingoptions are available,including bequests, giftannuities, trusts, and otherforms of gifts. These areplaced in our endowmentto help conserve birds ofprey and their environ-ments in perpetuity. Forinformation, contact JeffCilek, Vice President, at(208) 362-3716 or by e-mail at jcilek@peregrinefund.org.

• If you wish to make a pro-vision in your will, the fol-lowing general form issuggested:

I give, devise, andbequeath to The PeregrineFund, Inc., an Idaho not-for-profit corporation,located on the date hereofat the World Center forBirds of Prey, 5668 WestFlying Hawk Lane, Boise,Idaho 83709, the sum of$____ (or specificallydescribed property).”

9

The haunting cry at dawn ofthe African Fish Eagle is thequintessential sound of

Africa. It is yet another awe-inspiring sun-rise in Kenya where the golden waters ofLake Baringo appear motionless againstthe picturesque backdrop of LaikipiaEscarpment in Kenya’s Rift Valley. A podof grunting hippos make a last attempt atgrazing on the little grass available tothem before seeking refuge in the water.Flocks of flamingoes anoint the pastel-colored sky with their graceful splendor.A new day begins in Africa.

The eastern leg of Kenya’s Rift Valley is dotted with a series of spectacular lakes,two of which contain freshwater, Baringoand Naivasha. Baringo lies in a drythorny-scrub bowl where temperaturesoften exceed 95°F. The lake area is home to Njemps fishermen and Tugenpastoralists who depend on the lake for sustenance.

Over 400 species of birds have beenrecorded at Baringo and Naivasha wherethe African Fish Eagles are by far the mainstar. These magnificent eagles epitomizeinland lakes and water systems of thecontinent, and are effective indicators ofthe ecological state of aquatic environ-ments. We have been monitoring popula-tions of African Fish Eagles at LakeBaringo over the last three years to beginadding information to an existing long-term monitoring program of the speciesat Lake Naivasha, 150 km south ofBaringo. At Naivasha, populations of fisheagles have plummeted by nearly 50%since the early 1970s. This decline hasbeen caused by decreasing water levels,clearing of Acacia woodland shorelinehabitat, and perhaps the most detrimen-tal of all, the introduction of theLouisiana crayfish that has wrought havocon the lake’s fragile food webs. Counts inthe 1970s at Lake Naivasha by the lateLeslie Brown recorded approximately 200fish eagles. In 1994, when we began mon-itoring fish eagles at Lake Naivasha, pop-ulations had dropped to about 110individuals. By 1997, only 67 fish eagleswere present around the lake. This declinewas compounded by the fact that nestinghad virtually stopped—only one pair pro-duced a single chick in over three years.

Unabated horticultural expansionalong the lake shores, an exponentialinflux of job seekers, and uncontrolledwater extraction continue to degrade thealready parlous state of Lake Naivasha.The riparian land around its shores isentirely privately owned and is at theheart of the country’s rapidly growingflower industry. The concern that overuseof pesticides and habitat loss may havehad an impact on the fish eagle popula-tion warranted further studies.

My colleagues and I trapped andbanded 25 fish eagles, collected blood,and began observing their behavior moreclosely. Nearly three-quarters of thebanded eagles were severely underweightand malnourished, barely sustainingthemselves, let alone attaining breedingcondition. Raptors, as with other avianspecies, need to build up adequate bodyreserves to prime themselves for egg lay-ing. Kenya was experiencing its worstdrought, fish populations had crashedbelow sustainable levels, and the tens ofthousands of waterfowl (mainly coot,grebes, and ducks) had disappeared as aresult of depletion of their primary foodsource, submerged water plants that wereconsumed by the exotic Louisiana crayfish.

Then in early 1998, following heavyEl Niño rains, it appeared as though thefish eagles’ prayers were answered. Thelake level rose by three vertical metersresulting in the formation of crystal clearlagoons fringed by large papyrus belts.Fish populations began to explode andthe lake became a cacophony of breeding

activity. Towards the end of that year, atleast seven pairs of fish eagles had largechicks in their nests. Immature to adultfish eagle ratios returned to 20%, similarto the level that Brown recorded in theearly 1970s. Between 1999 and 2002, thepopulation of African Fish Eagles at LakeNaivasha stabilized between 100 and 106individuals which appears to be the pres-ent carrying capacity of the lake. Under-standing the population dynamics of“umbrella species” such as the AfricanFish Eagle is crucial in detecting changesin the ecology of a fluctuating lake systemsuch as Naivasha.

At Lake Baringo, there are approxi-mately 35 fish eagles comprising 15 terri-torial pairs. Fish eagle populations herehave also declined by as much as 50%since the early 1970s. Here, we are tryingto understand how the fish eagles arecoping with a rapidly sedimenting lake.High turbidity of the water makes it virtu-ally impossible for fish eagles to hunt. Atleast six pairs of eagles residing on thesmall islands within the lake are virtuallydependent on local community tour-operators who feed the eagles on a dailybasis. Tourists are taken by boat to habit-uated eagles that are conditioned torespond to whistles and swoop at fishthrown to them from a mere couple ofyards from the boats. Many argue againstthe value of artificially feeding free-flyingeagles, yet economically this is a greatboost to the local community. The fisheagles of Lake Baringo generate about$150,000 annually towards the local com-

Munir Virani

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Prayer of the African Fish Eagle

Tony

Cro

cetta

The Cape Verde Red Kite isfound only on the CapeVerde islands, a rather

barren archipelago of volcanic AtlanticOcean islands about 500 kilometerswest of Senegal, Africa. Our surveys forkites in May through August 2001located four red kites on Boavista Islandand two on Maio Island, but none werefound on Santa Antao, the island con-sidered to be the species’ last strong-hold. This species is clearly on the edgeof extinction.

Our efforts in August 2001 to capturethe birds for captive breeding failed dueto equipment limitations and an abun-dance of food in the wild. Grasshopperswere everywhere and the kites were fullof the large insects which they pluckedwith ease from treetops like ripe fruit.

With custom traps, renewed enthusi-asm, and hope, our field team returnedto Cape Verde in June 2002 to find andcapture the remaining kites. It was a for-midable task. To describe what it tookto go to some of the most arid, ruggedislands in the tropical Atlantic Oceanlooking for far-ranging birds, find them,trap them against the odds of their waryand peculiar behavior, care for them,ensure their health and well-being withlimited facilities, transport them fromone island to another to care for themin one place, and then transport themto the United Kingdom would takemuch more space than this brief reportallows. Yet, we succeeded! By mid-Sep-tember, five kites were captured usingcareful observation, skill, and ingenuityto lure them into our traps. Within days

they were safely delivered to our projectpartner in the United Kingdom, TheNational Birds of Prey Centre, wherethey are receiving the care and attentionneeded to nurse them into breedingcondition.

With at least some kites safely incaptivity, we plan to continue watchingand studying kites remaining in thewild to learn about their behavior andbreeding, and be in position to help thespecies’ recovery.

Rick Watson

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UPDATE: Cape Verde Red Kitemunity simply by having fish thrown atthem. They are revered and held in highesteem. This is a prime example of raptorconservation and community-based devel-opment operating in harmony. We areworking closely with Baringo boat-opera-tors to increase knowledge and ethicsabout raptor conservation of the area.

The African Fish Eagle screams again,its head thrown backwards, the echoesringing in my ears. I feel a tingle runningdown my spine. Is this a desperate prayerfor help? Kenya’s Rift Valley lakes are fastshrinking for lack of water. Changingglobal climatic conditions combinedwith Kenya’s disappearing forests mayhave contributed towards lower rainfallpatterns and reduced watershed inflow.Water is scarce, and crops need to be irri-gated and livestock watered. Increasedevaporation caused by drought condi-tions and unsustainable water use byfarmers exacerbates the problem. Manyfamilies have moved closer to the lakeand taken up fishing to feed their hungrychildren. Lake Baringo is getting shal-lower as a result of siltation. This has fol-lowed years of erosion caused bydestruction of forests and overgrazingupstream and in the Laikipia catchment.On my drive home, I observe between 20and 30 bicycles laden with overloadedsacks of charcoal, a sobering testament ofthe deplorable state of Kenya’s forestmanagement system. From the corner ofmy eye, I see a fish eagle carrying nestingmaterial and landing on its nest. The pairwill perhaps breed this year for they arefed every day. I pass by Lake Naivasha aswell, and the water level appears lowerthan when I saw it just three months ago.The rains have failed yet again and sowill breeding. Will the fish eagles’ prayerfor help be answered again?

The African Fish Eagle Project is con-ducted by The Peregrine Fund’s KenyaProject with help from the followingorganizations: University of Leicester,Earthwatch Institute, Department ofOrnithology of the National Museums ofKenya, Kenya Wildlife Service, FisheriesDepartment, Lake Naivasha RiparianOwners Association, and Lake Baringoand Borgoria County Council.

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Cape Verde landscape.

Captured Cape Verde Red Kite.

Improvised trap.

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We began work in North Greenlandin 1993, finding one Peregrine Fal-con eyrie near Thule Air Base on

Mount Dundas. The same location was first reported in1938 by Danish scientist, Christian Vibe, who pho-tographed a Peregrine flying in front of the cliff. Famedexplorer and author, Peter Freuchen, reported seeing thefalcons there in the 1940s. Although Peregrines had alsobeen reported from Saunders Island (16 km way), noeyrie is known to have ever been found. That islandcontains very large seabird colonies of Thick-billedMurres, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and Northern Fulmars.None of the North Greenland or North Pole expedi-tions reported seeing Peregrines or collected any else-where, although a number of Gyrfalcons were shot,skins from which can be found in various museums.Interviewing local hunters in North Greenland in the1990s we found they did not recognize Peregrines whenpointed out in bird books, but all recognized Gyrfal-cons and knew of eyries. Only this year did we find ahunter who, to our questions, answered, “Yes, the darkones,” and explained they began appearing in the lasttwo or three years, but he assumed they were only darkGyrfalcons.

Since our initial re-discovery of the Dundas Pere-grine eyrie in 1993, we have located additional siteswith territorial Peregrines and found single Peregrines,and sometimes even pairs, loosely associated with a

cliff or area. Many of these are subadults, falcons proba-bly looking for mates and potential future breedinglocations. Based on our results we believe Peregrine Fal-con density is rapidly increasing in North Greenland asa result of a range expansion from more southernGreenland or from improved reproduction and/orreduced mortality of a once much smaller northernpopulation.

Surveys for falcons in North Greenland have nowbeen accomplished from 76° 00’ to 77° 40’ North longi-tude. We have located Peregrines throughout the areawith the most northern-known breeding pair (with fouryoung) at 77° 14’ North. However, an adult femalePeregrine relentlessly drove a Gyrfalcon from an area atour very northern survey limit. We did not have anopportunity to search for the Peregrine’s potential eyriebefore dense fog moved into the area followed by astorm.

We do not yet know how far north Peregrines breedin Greenland, but we are already north of the previ-ously most northern-known breeding location everreported in the world. Each time we extend our searchnorth we find “That cloud-biting anchor shape, thatcrossbow flinging through the air...” (J.A. Baker 1967)dominating the sky and their surroundings with theirpiercing cries and fearless determination.

Kurt Burnham

Peregrines of North Greenland

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Young offemale Peregrine with satellite-monitoredtransmitter—August 2002.

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The plight of endangered wildlife is asubject that is familiar to us all. Acrossthe globe a host of species are plagued

by dwindling numbers, habitat fragmentation, and dis-ruption of ecosystems. For many, the threat of extinc-tion looms ever larger on the horizon. Yet, rarely havethe fortunes of a species floundered as spectacularly asthose of south Asia’s vultures in the last decade. Asrecently as 20 years ago the Oriental White-backed Vul-ture was considered to be the most abundant large birdof prey on the planet. Vultures were a familiar sight,flourishing on the spoils of city and farmland alike.Surely a bird whose very success has been dependanton a rapidly expanding human population must bemost resistant of all to extinction? You would think so;but things have changed, and at a rate that is hard tocomprehend.

No one really knows how many vultures have beenlost in the last 10 years, but realistically the number liesin the hundreds of thousands. Normally it would beunusual to find the body of a long-lived species such asa vulture; birds that can live for 20, maybe 30 years ormore just do not die that often and are almost nevernoticed when they do! Yet in less than two years of sur-veys, we have located more than 1,200 dead vultures ina small area of Pakistan alone. Across the whole region,reports are disturbingly similar: vulture populationshave plummeted, in places declining to extinction. Thequestion is why?

Despite their traditional success, vultures havealways faced a multitude of problems. Their feedingpreferences expose them to poisons intended to eradi-cate feral dogs. Local changes in the disposal of live-stock carcasses can deprive the birds of food and forcethem to move elsewhere. But these are just local prob-lems and do not explain a decline that has occurredalmost simultaneously across over a million squaremiles, and bridging international borders.

Suspicions point either to an epidemic of infectiousdisease that has swept across the subcontinent or awidespread change in the usage of pesticides that hasresulted in poisoning and death across a huge area.Either theory is possible, and each is associated with itsown array of frightening implications. An infectiousagent capable of wiping out a once abundant speciescould continue spreading well beyond the confines ofthe region. Diseases know no boundaries, and migra-tory vultures could seed the infection across the coun-tries of Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, andNorth Africa. In addition, vultures are large and easilyobserved birds, and their absence is readily apparent.Perhaps other less visible species have already beenaffected, or may be affected in the future. A pesticidemay be less selective in its effects, and the example ofthe vultures would be indicative of a far wider problem

affecting wildlife, domestic, and human populationsacross the region.

The situation is clearly an emergency demandingswift and decisive action. The Peregrine Fund and part-ners, Ornithological Society of Pakistan and Bird Con-servation Nepal, have been working to solve themystery of the Asian vul-ture decline since 2000.We began by measuringreproduction and mortal-ity among remaining vul-tures to provide the firstscientifically rigorous dataon the rates, patterns, andcauses of mortality. Localbiologists were equippedand trained in field tech-niques of raptor study.Our second breeding sea-son began in October2001. Numbers at our fieldsites made depressingreading: all populationshad declined dramaticallyin just 12 months, with the colony most severelyaffected undergoing a 75% reduction in the number ofbreeding pairs.

Tissue samples have been exported for analysis. Wehave sought the expertise of specialists in the fields ofavian diagnostics, microbiology, and toxicology. Lind-say Oaks, Washington State University, is coordinatingour diagnostic studies, involving experts in numerousinstitutions. Features of the development of renal fail-ure in the vultures are becoming clearer, and we arecurrently exploring several lines of enquiry.

The investigation of wildlife mortality is neverstraightforward; unraveling multiple lines of evidence,theories, and clues is a difficult task. The rate and scaleof the vulture decline demands that our work proceedwith urgency. Only through combined field study andlaboratory diagnosis will the riddle be solved. Ourresponse will depend on uncovering the cause, and willlead to further questions. If an infectious disease isimplicated, will the now reduced populations demon-strate a resistance that might allow them to recover?Can the vultures do this on their own, or are there wayswe can help them through treatment, vaccination, orcaptive-breeding? And if pesticide poisoning is occur-ring, are other species affected, and what should bedone about it?

We cannot ignore the fragility of the once super-abundant vultures of south Asia. We are committed tomeeting this challenge, and through hard work andtenacity to help ensure that these species do not slipinto history.

Martin Gilbert

Update: Asian Vulture Crisis Project

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Vultures werea familiarsight, flourish-ing on thespoils of cityand farmlandalike.

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Three Years with Madagascar Fish Eagles

Ifell in love with Madagascarlong before I ever got there.I had seen pictures of danc-

ing lemurs, upside-down trees, and giantjumping rats and had heard many a taleof exciting discoveries and adventures inthis strange and forgotten world, not leastthe re-discovery of the Madagascar Ser-pent Eagle by The Peregrine Fund biolo-gists. I was not disappointed when Ifinally got there myself. My chance camewhen Rick Watson asked whether I wouldbe interested in studying the criticallyendangered Madagascar Fish Eagle for myMaster’s thesis. He only had to ask once!

Rick and other researchers from ThePeregrine Fund had been studying thefish eagle since 1991, and they hadnoticed some unusual breeding behaviorat some nest sites. It seemed that somebreeding pairs had extra-pair birdsinvolved with their nesting activities, andit was my job to try and shed some lighton who these extra-pair birds were. Werethey male or female? Why did they occurat some nests but not others? Were theycontributing to the success of the breed-ing attempt or were they waiting in thewings, so to speak, ready to kill the chicksand claim the territory for themselves? Orperhaps they were related to the primarypair. Were they progeny from previousyears, delaying their own dispersal intonew territories simply because the habitatwas no longer available to support them?

Was this behavior limiting the abundanceof the fish eagle, causing it to be listed asone of the seven rarest birds of prey inthe world? The scene was set for anintriguing five-month field season, whichbegan with a 2 am start on a three-dayjourney across Madagascar to reach thebase camp on the western side of theisland.

A recent cholera outbreak meant ahastily arranged vaccination in Antana-narivo (the capital, known locally as“Tana”) in order to pass the army check-point on the main road out of town.Those without a certificate were forced toswallow some suspicious-looking tabletson the spot, causing another roadblock afew miles on as people pulled over tovomit. My traveling companion was Yves,the local Peregrine Fund driver, and asdawn broke we swept up onto the centralhigh plateau where the gaping wounds oferosion were only too apparent. No trees,no wildlife, just a few remote villages andan endless vista of crumbling red soil.The area was littered with the elaboratetombs of the ancestors, quite palatial incomparison to the mud-smeared huts ofthe living. The Malagasy practice a reli-gion of ancestor worship, where thepower of the dead is held in high esteem.Every seven to 12 years the bones areremoved from the tomb to provide anopportunity to communicate with, andseek advice from, the dead. Many Mala-

Ruth Tingay

June 1999: The Place of a ThousandCrocodile Eyes

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gasy believe that if their crops have failed,it is a sign that the ancestors are unhappyand efforts must be made to appease theirdispleasure. After much drinking anddancing, the families re-wrap the bonesin a new burial shroud and replace themin the tomb.

We descend from the cool highlandsdown onto the vast, baking western plain,where the tarmac road soon gives way towhat can only be described as a glorifiedox-cart track. Deeply rutted and dusty,this is Madagascar’s answer to a motor-way. We slowly bounce and jolt along inthe searing midday sun, accompanied byYves’ somewhat eclectic taste in music,including Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round theOld Oak Tree interspersed with Guns andRoses Greatest Hits. At sunset weapproach the west coast town of Moron-dava to be greeted by a landscape ofupside-down trees (the island’s famousbaobabs) and the promise of a hotshower, the last for many months.

Our journey continues at dawn as wetravel north to the first river crossing,

where a “restaurant”serves cold drinks andboiled fruit bat. Aseven-hour wait (usu-ally it’s only four) untilthe ferry arrives and weboard the woodenplatform that has beennailed to some oildrums for flotationpurposes. Anothernight in a hotel acrossthe river, where I’mlucky enough to get aroom at the front so Ican enjoy the all-night

disco without having to pay an entrancefee. A cold shower and an old mattressshared with fleas and cockroaches heraldsthe threshold into the glamorous worldof fieldwork in Madagascar.

Day three and we head further intothe unknown, where even the oxcart trackceases to provide any clear route. Fortu-nately, Yves has made this trip manytimes and he steers us across the remoteplain with his built-in sense of direction,pausing only to shuffle through his cas-sette box to find the next 70s soundtrack.We enter the giant Tsimembo Forest atdusk and finally pull into the camp bythe glimmer of a half-crescent moon. Iam exhausted after the journey andhastily erect my tent under the star-stud-ded sky and fall straight to sleep.

I crawl out of my tent at daybreak toset eyes on the tranquil surroundings.Our camp is situated on the shore of oneof three large freshwater lakes, sur-rounded by the dry deciduous TsimemboForest. Each lake supports a high concen-tration of fish eagles, with 12 known pairsin this area (approximately 10% of thetotal world population). There are wet-land and forest birds everywhere, and Itry to make sense of the unfamiliar callsand song. I am greeted by the eight Pere-grine Fund technicians who live at thiscamp all year round. They are allemployed from the local community andhave been trained in the techniques nec-essary to monitor the fish eagle popula-tion. All the technicians speak Malagasy,and some speak French. I try out my rustyschoolgirl French but soon realize thatmy pocket phrase book will be in highdemand this year! I sound like someoneout of a Tarzan film—”Me study birds.Me live England.” Fortunately, Loukman,the field manager, speaks some English,and so we discuss the project in a mixtureof “Franglaise” and elaborate hand sig-nals. I am eager to get out onto the lakeand see my first fish eagle, but Loukmaninsists I have a tour of the camp first.

Camp really comprises very little. Itsformal name is Ankivahihy Camp, which,in typical Malagasy style, is as unpro-

I sound like someone out of a Tarzan film–“Me study birds.”

“Me live England.”

continued on page 16

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nounceable as it looks. The nearest I canget to saying it is Camp Handkerchief andthis name sticks for the rest of the season.We walk past eight tents, and Loukmantells me which technician sleeps where.The kitchen has a fire pit and a fewsmoothed-down logs for seating. At theother end of camp is the long-drop toilet,housed inside a mud hut with a thatchedroof, and it is home to hundreds of scut-tling giant hissing cockroaches. It is fairlyclassy though as far as long-drops go, as ithas a toilet roll holder made from a stickand a couple of pieces of string danglingfrom the roof. A large wooden buildingsits in the central area of the camp,although really it is only a shell of abuilding. Nobody lives in it, but it is usedto store all the project field equipmentand also makes for a comfortable hideoutfor the local rat population. There is norunning water and no electricity here andthe nearest town/village is situated 11 kmaway on the other side of the forest. Wor-ryingly, the town is called Masoarivo,which translates as “The Place of a Thou-sand Crocodile Eyes!” Loukman tries totell me that the Nile Crocodiles here arenot dangerous and that it is safe to bathein the lake. I remember seeing a tomb onthe road to camp, which had a muralpainted on the outside wall depictingscenes from the dead person’s life. Thepicture was of a man with his leg in acrocodile’s mouth (presumably how hedied). I tell Loukman, “Me scared croco-diles,” and I build myself a shower cubi-cle from scavenged pieces of wood, well

away from the water’s edge!Finally, we head out across the first

lake, Soamalipo, in search of the eagles. Ihear them before I see them, their callscarrying high over the buzzing boatengine. Loukman points out the largestick nest in the distance, high up in ahuge baobab tree well above the forestcanopy. As we approach and switch offthe engine, I see my first eagle, albeit justa head, poking out over the top of thenest. Another eagle glides in from the farside of the lake and can only bedescribed as looking like a flying door! Ithas hugely broad wings, and cruiseseffortlessly in to land on the nest tree.Both eagles call, throwing back theirheads and duetting beautifully. I amtransfixed and quickly frame the perch-ing eagle in my binoculars. Loukman,looking on like a proud father, tells methis is the male (males have a slightlyhigher-pitched voice than the females).He is gorgeous! Not the usual black andwhite color, typical of most sea eagles,but a deep chestnut brown with whitishcheeks and a stark white tail. I can notsee any colored bands on his leg thatmight identify him (some of the fisheagles in this area have been color-banded to allow researchers to identifycertain individuals from a distance).

Although we are only about 75 metersaway, both eagles appear to ignore us.Loukman explains that the eagles here areused to seeing humans, as all the lakeshave large fishing communities campingaround the shores. We sit and watch as

the male preens himself and the femalesettles back down deep into the nest cup.It appears this pair is in the incubationstage of the breeding cycle, which usuallylasts for approximately 42 days. Suddenlythe male throws his head back and callsagain and the female joins in. Then wehear a third bird calling, just out of viewand further back into the forest. I scan thetree line looking for it, but it is keeping alow profile. The male has now turned hisback on us and is also looking in thedirection of the third bird. The third birdcalls again, and Loukman identifies it asanother male. Our first male leaves thenest tree and flies purposefully towardsthe direction of the second male. He fliesout of sight behind the forest, but we canhear more high-pitched and frantic callsbehind the trees. Suddenly they bothappear above the tree line, with one malein hot pursuit of the other, both callingwildly. They twist and turn, dip and dive,and then are lost to view again. We listenintently for clues to their location, buteverything has gone quiet. I turn mybinoculars back onto the female on thenest, but she is not showing any signs ofa reaction. After a few minutes, an eagleflies in silently and perches back in thenest tree, a few branches above the nest. Ilook for a telltale leg band again but cannot see any. Loukman signals that wehave to leave so he can show me the restof the lakes, and reluctantly I agree thatthis would be a good idea, as we start upthe engine and head further down thelake to look at the other nest sites.

Crocodile Eyes

continued from page 15

Biologist RuthTingay (left).

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Aplomado Falcon - Dog Days of Summer

As the dog days of summer

bring the Aplomado Falcon team closer to the end of

the hack season it is difficult not to reflecton the past two months with sentimentand pride. Over the past eight weeks theteam acted as guardians to over 100 juve-nile Aplomado Falcons. During this timewe experienced a spectrum of emotion,from joy when witnessing our falcons’first flights to despair when discovering afalcon dead from natural predation. Butas the summer nears its end and ourAplomado Falcons gain greater confi-dence in their skills, we understand theproject’s big picture. The birds that survivewill help supplement the wild populationof the Northern Aplomado Falcon. Thisgoal, combined with the dynamic pres-ence of the falcons, is what gives usstrength to tolerate the endless hours intough field conditions. In fact, one of themost challenging aspects of our job is totroubleshoot problems that arise at eachhack site.

An Aplomado Falcon hack site con-sists of one or two towers, usually around10 feet tall, with a hack box secured to thetop of each. The box, which usually holdsfour to seven falcons, consists of threesolid sides and a large barred window.From here the young falcons observetheir environment for approximately aweek before release. On release day thebox is opened and the falcons emerge to

find food tethered on the tower’s deck.From this point on the falcons will returnto the tower to feed on fresh quail placeddaily by the hack site attendants. Over thenext six to 10 weeks the falcons becomeconfident hunters and flyers and slowlywean themselves from the tower tobecome independent.

In order to care for the falcons and tocollect valuable behavioral observations,hack site attendants spend their days,from sunup to sundown, observing thefalcons from a blind about 100 yardsaway from the tower. These attendants arethe project’s eyes and ears. They worklong, hot days in often inhospitable envi-ronments, keeping track of each Aplo-mado Falcon. By the end of the summerthey are hardened observers with invalu-able knowledge of their site, the falcons,and the surrounding ecosystem. This yearwe had a great group of attendants. Withour hack sites located hours apart fromeach other, communication betweenattendants and supervisors was critical tothe project’s success. A hacked birdscarcely went missing a day without theattendants reporting it to the office. Thiscommunication allowed the team to beproactive when problems occurred in thefield. For example, shortly after one ofour releases a group of older hack birdscame in and scared two of the young fal-cons off the tower. The attendants fromthe site quickly located the lost Aplo-

mado and reported it to the office. A fieldsupervisor was able to place a portablefeed perch near the young falcons, allow-ing the birds to feed and finally gainenough confidence to return to the tower.

Just as the hack site attendants arecrucial to the project’s success, thelandowners that allow us to work ontheir properties are invaluable. This yearwe had the great fortune to release birdson four privately owned ranches, theMeans, Miller, El Sauz, and Forshageranches, and four conservation refuges,Laguana Atascosa National WildlifeRefuge, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge,and Welder Wildlife Refuge, and TheNature Conservancy land. It is the sup-port and enthusiasm of the landownersand refuges that give the Aplomado Pro-ject legs to stand on. Without access tothis land, Texas would be closed to ourreintroduction efforts. Just as importantis the individual devotion landownersand refuge managers bestow upon theAplomado project. It is refreshing to seelandowners and refuge personnelinvolved with the falcons.

Though each new year presents itsown challenges, we are looking forwardto returning to Texas next season in orderto continue to work with our partnersand cooperators, to continue to improveour release techniques, and to expand ourknowledge about these amazing falcons.

Erin Gott

...the falcons become confident hunters and flyersand slowly wean themselves from the tower...

©W

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North GreenlandH

ello everyone. I amback after an abortedfive-day trip to Olrik

Fjord and the Qaanaaq region. After a5 am (Lord save me) breakfast and pack-ing the boat full of camping gear, food,and personal bits, we set out yesterdayinto a thick, occasionally soupy fog andcalm water, hopping island to island,point to point, past Drown Bay, BoothSound, rounding Cape Parry into Hval-sund. In Hvalsund, choked with bergybits and unfortunately not choked withwhales of the narwhal variety, we stoppedto check out a Gyrfalcon eyrie wherethree Gyrs (one adult female and two

chicks) had been caught and transmit-tered last year (the adult female was fol-lowed to Ellesmere and then was lost inBaffin Bay sometime in winter). Bill andRegan went to check out the eyrie while Ihung back on the slatey, slick talus slope(the cliff looked a little too precipitousfor my liking). The eyrie was empty savefor a few relatively recent prey bits sug-gesting that one of the pair returned andleft after a few days with no mate. Frommy perch below the eyrie, well above thewater, I had a great view (intermittentlyobscured by fog) down to the calvingsnout of the glacier, which dischargedsome thunderously massive bergs while I

watched. Back on the water, the fogcleared a bit with an increasing wind, andwe made our way down Olrik Fjord. Westopped about a third of the way downOlrik Fjord at Qaqarsseaq for me to sam-ple a lake and for the rest to check out aneyrie on the other side. Jack then checkedin with the Thule weather station to dis-cover that the low-pressure system thathas been hovering for a while was quicklymobilizing our way and that winds inThule were already 40 knots. So, leavingthe diatoms to their lake and the Gyrs totheir eyrie, we battened down the hatchesand prepared ourselves for a wet and coldride home. And what a wild ride it was—

Bianca Perren

The wild water seemed to fit well with

23 July 2002Ja

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and incredibly beautiful—smooth whitelobes of ice dipping down from theplateaus, nosing fresh moraines into thefjord, elsewhere sheer cliffs of gneiss, andonce we rounded Cape Parry, smoothbroad green and brown plains slopinginto the sea. Cape Parry was wild withwind and waves—the fetch along SmithSound is substantial—and we were air-borne, flying along the wave tops, buriedin the troughs, and everything in-between. The wild water seemed to fitwell with the rugged and impenetrablecoastline and serves as a not so subtlereminder (as if we needed one) that herethe weather and ocean rule and going out

on the water is serious business. Lucky forus, we are well equipped with just aboutthe best boat and drivers and weatherprediction.

So, warm in my survival suit, I heldon and enjoyed the ride back to Thule.All told we covered 244 miles (with thetank still reading full...) and got homearound 9 pm. Safe and warm and left towrite long, long e-mails to family andfriends and look out the window at thethickening cloud.

So there we go.Now time for you guys to write...

[This is a message Bianca sent to her fam-ily and agreed to otherwise share. Biancais working on her Ph.D. in paleolimnologyat the University of Toronto in Canada.Her research is on recent climate changein West Greenland. She is volunteering forThe Peregrine Fund this summer whilecollecting diatoms from lakes in NorthGreenland. Her M.Sc. research wasaccomplished on Ellesmere Island recon-structing changes in lake ice cover over thelast 2,550 years.]

the rugged and impenetrable coastline…

Above: The snout of a glacier, calving icebergs.Left: Bianca Perren, dressed for a day on the water.Opposite page: The Peregrine Fund’s research boat, dwarfed by an iceberg.

Gyrfalcon in flight.

Bill

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California CondorsA

fter the frenetic activity in April and May, June

began with relativecalm. The Arizona condors spent moreand more time on the wing. Overall, thebirds frequented predictable areas, divid-ing their time primarily between theNorth and South Rims of Grand CanyonNational Park, Navajo Bridge, and theNorth Kaibab Plateau. Much to our relief,our birds of concern (newly-releasedbirds and birds that have been recapturedbecause of excessive curiosity and unwari-ness of humans, then later re-released) allbehaved like model condors, giving us lit-tle cause for worry.

Indeed, we often had to worry moreabout excessive human curiosity thancondor curiosity! On several occasions,operators of guided raft trips stoppedtheir boats upon seeing condors playingon Navajo Bridge beach. Rather thanwatching from a distance, several groupscould not resist the temptation of pad-dling over and beaching their boats. Luck-ily, even the inexperienced newly-releasedcondors consistently retreated to thesafety of the cliffs when persistent rafters,eager to get close-up photos, jumped offthe rafts and approached the birds. In thepast, condors have not frequented theNavajo Bridge area throughout the sum-mer, so we could only hope that theNavajo Bridge season would soon cometo a timely close, ending such unneces-sary condor/human interactions.

Young condors are extremely curiousand do not appear to have an innatewariness of people. Since our condors arereleased into the wild without their par-ents to teach them to fear humans, partof our job in monitoring the condors isto give them a scare and haze them awaywhenever they come too close to people.Over time, the young condors learn to bewary. Should you come across a condorduring a visit to the Grand Canyon area,the best thing you can do for the condorsis to keep your distance. When peopleapproach the condors to photographthem or observe them at close range, theyinadvertently give the birds the messagethat humans are not to be feared. Unfor-tunately, such a message may cost a con-

dor its life, as it did for Condor 124 whowas shot and killed in March 1999.

Aside from learning to stay away fromoverly curious people, the young birdscontinued to learn that there are otherhazards to be avoided in the wild. On3 June, juvenile Condor 240 was struck bya diving, territorial Peregrine Falcon. For-tunately, Condor 240 showed no illeffects from this encounter. Even older,wiser condors are sometimes notimmune to single-minded aerial hazards!Six-year-old Condor 134 was also hit by aPeregrine a mere two days after Condor240’s encounter. The feisty Peregrine wenton to harass young Condor 223. Hope-fully, the condors will put lessons learnedfrom their encounters with falcons tofuture good use in potential encounterswith far more dangerous Golden Eagles.

While certain hazards can easily beforeseen and often headed off by watchfulcrew members, every now and then thoseof us who watch over the released condorsare taken by surprise and can only watchhelplessly as one of our young birds findsitself in a potential life and death struggle.On 9 June, new crew member Kate Par-mentier was keeping a close watch overthe condors in the Navajo Bridge area:Condors 114, 158, 162, 195, 223, 227, 240,and 246. It was a high wind day and thebridge appeared to roll under Kate’s feet asshe looked down at the beach and riverover 450 feet below her. As she watched,two-year-old Condor 227, who had been

playing on the beach, took off and beganflying to the other side of the river.

Condor 227 has always been an excep-tional young flier. He has amazed us bymaking repeated flights back and forthfrom one favorite condor hangout toanother during the course of a single day.He once flew from the release site to theSouth Rim, then back to the release site, around-trip of more than 100 miles, in twohours! He has grappled with a Bald Eagleand chased off Golden Eagles. In short, hehas shown himself to be a spectacularyoung condor. How great was Kate’s sur-prise, therefore, when Condor 227, mak-ing a routine flight across the ColoradoRiver, stalled and dropped into the fast-flowing water! Helplessly she watched as227 was carried down river. With only hishead and parts of his wings above water,227 struggled for the shore that he hadleft so confidently moments before. In anagony of suspense, Kate trained her binoc-ulars on Condor 227 as he battled the cur-rent and fought his way back to the beach.The river was running high and fast. Itmust have felt like hours to Kate, butwithin minutes, Condor 227 hauled him-self back to safety and emerged drippingwet from the water. “I thought we weregoing to lose him for sure,” Kate wrote inher field notes. But echoing the senti-ments of the entire field crew, she contin-ued, “but 227 is an amazing condor!”

Reproduced from The Peregrine Fund, E-Newsletter, Notes from the Field, June 2002

Sophie OsbornSophie Osborn.

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Polar Fleece Vest

Stay warm andlook great! Try oneof these comfyfleece vests on forsize! Available invivid royal blue,each vest isenhanced with ThePeregrine Fundlogo embroideredon the front. . . . . . . .$47.50

2002 Christmas Ornament

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Cool North Wind — Morley Nelson’slife with birds of prey

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California Condor Chick

This soft and plush California Condor chickis a must have for anyone who has beenfollowing the success story of the CaliforniaCondors. Soon we hope to have chicks inthe wild in Arizona, but for now you mayhave your own at home.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95

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