MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

What a great meeting we had in Corpus Christi! I hope that all of you that were able to attend had a
great time and got to see some of the local specialties. If you haven't had the chance, please drop
Kate Davis a message congratulating her on yet another great Raptor Research Conference. The
amount of work and stress that goes into these meetings cannot be understated. I know several
unforeseen issues came up, all of which Kate dealt with behind the scenes with no drama. We owe
her a big one!

The day before the meeting officially started was the annual meeting of the Board of Directors.
Unfortunately, several officers and board members were unable to attend, but we had a very
constructive meeting none-the-less. Our recent election results were announced, and I'm pleased
to recognize the outgoing and incoming officers and board members. First, Ted Swem has been our
Vice President for several years now and felt it was time to take a break. I personally appreciate
the service Ted has given the RRF as our Vice President; he has been a stable and steady voice and a
great help for me during my first year as president. But, I could not be happier that, starting 1
January, Libby Mojica will be taking over as Vice President. Brian Washburn and Jennifer Coulson
were elected in as new Directors, and Fabrizio Sergio and Rob Bierregaard were re-elected to their
posts. I appreciate Rick Harness and Miguel Ferrer for their service on the board, and look forward
to continuing to work with them in other roles serving RRF. Finally, Miguel Saggese is our
President-Elect, and will take over the reins at the end of our 2015 conference in Sacramento; I'm
please Miguel has stepped up to take on this important role in our foundation.

There will be mention elsewhere in this volume of the Award recipients at this year's meeting.
However, I want to make note of a recognition that is not part of our normal awards. The Board of
Directors voted, and it was my pleasure to present, Angela Matz with
a lifetime membership and plaque in recognition of her years of service
to the Raptor Research Foundation as our Treasurer. This elected
position is undoubtedly the most important in our organization, and
Angela did a stellar job of keeping everything on track. Angela has
greatly helped with the transition to Jessi Brown as our new Treasurer
and I can assure you, we continue to be in good hands with Jessi.

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Mobmber 2014

Several other items and issues are on our
horizon. A very important one is filling
committees with dedicated and energetic
people wanting to take an active role in this
foundation. If you have the time and you care
about this foundation, I ask you to contact me
or any of the officers; there are a number of
ways you can help keep our foundation strong
and relevant.

Best,

CGnt <BoaC

RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC

(Founded in 1966)

OFFICERS

Secretary: Greg George
Treasurer: Jessi Brown
Past President: Ruth Tingay

DIRECTORS

Eurasian: Fabrizio Sergio At Large #1

Southern Hemisphere: Munir Virani At Large #2

At Large Outside North America: Jemima Parry-Jones At Large #3

North America #1: Lloyd Kiff At Large #4

North America #2: Gerald Niemi At Large #5

North America #3: Rick Harness At Large #6

EDITORS

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Raptor Research : Cheryl Dykstra
Editor, Wingspan-. Brian Washburn
Website Coordinator: Libby Mojica

For more information about the Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. (founded in 1966), please visit
the RRF website at: http : / / www.raptorresearchfoundation.org/ .

Persons interested in birds of prey are invited to join the Raptor Research Foundation (RRF).
Wingspan is emailed twice each year to all members of RRF and is available on the RRF website.
Members also receive The Journal of Raptor Research (ISSN 0892-1016), which is published
quarterly. For membership and subscription information, please contact: Ornithological
Societies of North America, 5400 Bosque Boulevard, Suite 680, Waco, TX 76710, USA; 1-254-399-
9636 (phone); 1-254-776-3767 (fax); business@osnabirds.org (email);
http://www.osnabirds.org (web).

: Miguel Saggese
: Jim Bednarz
: Rob Bierregaard
: Ara Monadjem
: Torgeir Nygard
: Miguel Ferrer

President: Clint Boal
Vice-president: Ted Swem
President-Elect:

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Editor’s Note - The decision was made to delay the fall 2014 issue of Wingspan until after the
2014 RRF Conference so that many exciting and important news items and announcements could
be provided in the issue.

Thanks to the following contributors for this issue of the Wingspan : Jim Belthoff, Clint Boal, Travis
Booms, Jennifer Coulson, Cheryl Dykstra, Kate Davis, Jeff Lincer, Libby Mojica, Gary Santolo, Dan
Varland, and Susan Whaley.

Wingspan welcomes contributions from RRF members and others interested in raptor biology and
management. Please submit contributions via email to Brian Washburn, Wingspan Editor, at
rrfwingspan@gmail.com . For long contributions, please send as a MS Word attachment. If you are
submitting photos, please include them within the MSWord document with a caption and photo
credit. Contribution deadline for the next issue is 15 February 2015.

All issues of Wingspan and content guidelines are available at:

http://www.raptorresearchfoundation.org/publications/wingspan-newsletter/online-

newsletters-pdfs

"Hatchlings and Fledglings"

As with any dynamic organization, changes within the RRF Leadership Group occur each year. At
the RRF Annual Business Meeting, the 2014 election results were announced:

X PRESDIENT-ELECT: Miguel Saggese
X VICE PRESIDENT: Libby Mojica
X DIRECTOR EURASIA: Fabrizio Sergio (Relected)

X DIRECTOR NORTH AMERICA #3: Brian Washburn
X DIRECTOR AT LARGE #3: Rob Bierregaard (Relected)

X DIRECTOR AT LARGE #6: Jennifer Coulson

Congratulations and huge thanks to all of those involved in these essential positions.
Understanding that everyone has a “day job", the dedication and commitment of all RRF members
is truly fantastic! The 2014 RRF Conference was a showcase of this.

In addition to the officers and Board of Directors, there are many opportunities to get involved
with, most notably Committees (such as Awards, Conferences, Conservation, and many others). If
you have the time and desire, contact an RRF officer for more information. And Get Involved!!!

- 3 -

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Mobmber 2014

RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION
2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Submitted by Brian Washburn

The 2014 Raptor Research Conference, held in Corpus Christi, TX was a rousing success! The event
was held at the Emerald Beach Hotel, right on Corpus Christi Bay. Despite some 'blustery' weather,
the field trips and bird watching excursions went off very well. Much appreciation is due to the
hosting organizations, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University -
Kingsville and HawkWatch International. A special thanks is warranted to Tom Langschied and
the staff at the King Ranch for their Texas-sized hospitality!

The conference was filled with a wide variety of presentations (talks and posters) on all things raptor-
related, including such informative and important topics as: new information about the ecology of little-
known species, advances in technology and techniques, important reminders of using proper terminology,
raptor life history (e.g., breeding, migration, and wintering ecology), issues associated with human-raptor
conflicts (e.g., wind energy development, habitat modification), and a host of other fascinating topics.

An excellent series of workshops, keynote presentations by Grainger Hunt, Bill Clark, and Steve
Hoffman provided all with a great sense of where the Raptor Research Foundation has come from and
where we are headed. Students played an important role in the success of the conference, providing
interesting and well prepared talks and posters. Of particular importance, the youngest participant at the
conference was Jack Service. Jack is a high school student that gave a great poster presentation and
without question discussed raptors and raptor biology with the same knowledge and ability as the rest of
the conference attendees! These were good signs that the RRF has a bright future.

Make plans to attend the 2015 Raptor Research Foundation Conference to be held in Sacramento, CA!
There is no better way to re-energize and be inspired to learn more about raptors than interacting with the
world’s foremost raptor biologists! (Who happen to be really great people! ! !)

Raptor Research Foundation

2014 Conference

September 24th-28th
Corpus Christi , Texas

,-V

Co-hosted by:

Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
HawkWatch International

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Mobetnber 2014

PHOTOS FROM THE 2014 RRF CONFERENCE

Graciously provided by Dan Varland

2014 James Koplin Award Winners:
Joe Eisaguirre, Jamie Wade,
and Julio Gallardo

Conference attendees enjoying the banquet.

Conference Committee Chair
Kate Davis keeping things "in line...."

2014 William C. Anderson Award Winners:
Stephanie Szarmach and Jamie Wade

w

If

Barbara Rapstein and Ms. Rapture
working at the registration desk

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Winaeom 23(2)

Mobmber 2014

Student learning about climbing
safety and accessing raptor
nests in an ECRR workshop

ECRR workshop instructors Wayne Nelson,
Dan Varland, John Smallwood,
and Gene Jacobs

Students learning about raptor
harnesses in an ECRR workshop

Manabu Abe explains his
poster to Scott Thomas

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Mobetnber 2014

Early Career Raptor Research Events
A Highlight of the 2014 Conference!

Submitted by Travis Booms

For the third year in a row, the Raptor Research Foundation Early Career Raptor Researcher
(ECRR) Committee sponsored a social mixer and a day of skills-based workshops at the2014 annual
meeting in Texas.

Workshops:

Classes were held in a small-group, intimate learning environment with a strong emphasis on
hands-on learning. This included using freshly-thawed raptor carcasses; tags, transmitters, and
sampling materials galore; and even hanging from ropes at a local climbing gym! Leading experts
in raptor research techniques donated their time and taught half or full-day courses on the
Wednesday before the conference on the following topics:

X Handling, marking, measuring, and blood-sampling raptors
X Harnessing raptors with transmitters
X Safely accessing raptor nests
X Raptor necropsy
X Raptor trapping

X Raptor ID, aging, and sexing in the hand and field

We had nearly 50 participants and many ECRRs noted that the workshops were the highlight of the
conference. The workshops provided ECRRs not only a unique opportunity to advance their skills
in topics rarely covered in college courses, but also a valuable opportunity to get to know their
instructors and fellow ECRRs before the conference started.

Thanks to the following Workshop Instructors who donated their time, expertise, and additional
travel costs to provide the highest quality learning experience to RRF's ECRRs:

Bill Clark, Raptours

Joel Pagel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Dan Varland, Coastal Raptors

Eugene Jacobs, Linwood Springs Research Station

Wayne Nelson

John Smallwood, Montclair State University

Brian Millsap, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Steve Lewis, US Fish and Wildlife Service

David Stelling, Texas State Aquarium

Pete Bloom, Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology

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Mobmber 2014

ECRR Social:

Mentors and ECRRs enjoyed an opportunity to mingle and get to know one another at the ECRR
mixer held on Thursday night at the hotel's sea-side bar. A fresh breeze off the ocean, gulls and
other sea birds flying overhead, and a spectacular view of Corpus Christi Bay made for a unique and
memorable event. This was an unstructured chance for ECRRs and mentors to meet each other in a
friendly, relaxed setting in hopes of breaking-down any perceived barriers between the new and
the vanguard RRF members and ensuring newer members know that they are welcome!

What's an ECRR? ( perhaps place the following in the format of a dictionary entry???)

An ECRR (pronounced E-ker... sounds like “beaker") can be either a student (high school,
undergraduate, or graduate) or someone who is no longer a student but is relatively new to
studying raptors. For example, an ECRR could be a biologist who recently graduated and is starting
his or her first job dealing with raptors. An ECRR could also be a person who finished school years
ago but is only now starting to work in the raptor field. The definition of an ECRR is by design a
flexible one; we leave it up to each RRF member to decide if he or she is new enough to the field to
be considered an ECRR. When in doubt, consider yourself an ECRR!

Interested in getting more involved with RRF ECRR Events? Drop an email to Travis Booms,
travis.booms@alaska.gov. ECRR Committee Chair.

*** More workshops and another ECRR-mentor mixer are already being planned for next year's
conference in California, so make plans to attend in 2015!!!

Upcoming Conferences

RRF 2015

4-8 November 2015
Sacramento, California, USA

Make sure to save the week of November 3-8, 2015 for the Raptor Research Foundation
Conference in Sacramento, California! The conference will be at the Double Tree hotel and hosted
by the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. Plan on attending - it's the 50 th anniversary of the
Madison Peregrine Conference! Contact Kate Davis ( raptors@montana.com ) to lend a hand.

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Mobetnber 2014

News from the RRF

Announcing the Winner of the 2014 Leslie Brown Memorial Grant

Submitted by Jeff Lincer and Gary Santolo

We are happy to announce that the 2014 Leslie Brown Memorial Grant goes to Marie-Sophie
Garcia-Heras who completed her BSc in Biology in France in 2009 (University of Paul-Cezanne Aix-
Marseille III) and followed this up with an M.S. in Ecology (2009-2011), with a specific focus on
biodiversity management and species conservation. Her M.S. research, through the Biological
Station of Donana (Sevilla, Spain), involved the study of the endangered Egyptian Vulture
(Neophron percnopterus) population on the Canarian Archipelago. Her project, specifically, focused
on the effects of supplementary feeding stations on the breeding population at the individual scale.
In 2013, Marie-Sophie joined the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University
of Cape Town (South Africa) to begin her Ph.D. on Black Harrier (Circus maurus ) conservation,
under the supervision of Dr. Rob Simmons, Prof. Graeme Cumming (UCT), and Drs. Francois
Mougeot and Beatriz Arroyo (CSIC, Spain). Her research aims to determine which factors are

responsible for the scarcity of the Black
Harrier population in Southern Africa and
how these factors, linked together, are
influencing its population dynamics in
space and time. Further, she is also
looking at how environmental (e.g. habitat,
prey, weather, pathogens, predators) and
individual factors (e.g., behavior,
condition) define breeding patterns.

Within that context, the Leslie Brown
Memorial Award will contribute to
characterize eco-physiological parameters
indicative of health (pollutant and
carotenoid levels) and to explore how they
may be linked to diet, habitat and breeding
performance in Black Harriers. The first
aim will be to determine to what extent
organochlorine compounds (OC) pollutants, such as DDT/DDE and PCBs, maybe affecting Black
Harriers, and how contaminant levels co-vary with diet (specifically if the diet is mostly based on
small birds, known to influence OC levels in raptors). Additionally, her work will investigate how
contaminant levels co-vary with individual condition (birds in a state of starvation, or in poor body
condition, may show higher OC concentrations), as well as with other physiological indicators of
health in nestlings and adults, specifically carotenoids and carotenoid-based coloration.

Marie-Sophie holding one of her study birds,
a Black Harrier.

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Winaeom 23(2)

Mobmber 2014

The ultimate objective of Marie-Sophie's Ph.D. research will be to bring together all aspects other
study to define efficient conservation management measures and contribute to an increase of Black
Harrier population size in the medium-long term in Southern Africa.

For more information on her research, read updates on the blog

( http : / /blackharrierspace.blogspot.com / ) or contact her at ms.garciaheras@gmail.com
(http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/docs/marie-sophie.html).

Frances and Frederick Hamerstrom Award

Submitted by Jennifer Coulson

Is there a colleague you admire who has made significant contributions to raptor ecology and
natural history? If so, please consider nominating this person for the Frances and Frederick
Hamerstrom Award. This prestigious award was established in 1990 to recognize and honor the
Hamerstroms for their contributions to our understanding of raptor natural history and ecology
through their long-term ecological studies. During their lifetime of research Fran and Hammi
Hamerstrom authored and co-authored over 240 scientific papers, reviews and books.

This award has no restrictions, but membership in the RRF is encouraged. A list of recipients of the
Hamerstrom Award can be found at the Raptor Research Foundation website
fwww.raptorresearchfoundation.org ). Nomination packets can be submitted at any time.
Recipients will be announced at the annual meeting and on the Raptor Research Foundation
website.

Nominations should include:

1. Name, title, and address of the nominee.

2. Name, title, and address of the nominator.

3. Names, titles and addresses of four persons qualified to evaluate the nominee's scientific
contribution.

4. A brief summary of the nominee's scientific contribution.

5. A complete list of publications authored by the nominee.

Amount: Non-monetary award

Number of Awards Issued per Year: 1-2
Deadline: June 30

To submit a nomination or obtain more information contact:

Jennifer 0. Coulson, Orleans Audubon Society, 64340 Fogg Lane, Pearl River, LA 70452, USA voice:
985-863-8516. iacoulson@aol.com

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Mobetnber 2014

Raptor News

National Eagle Roost Registry Launched -
Call for Roost Information

Submitted by Libby Mojica

Nonbreeding Bald Eagles are extremely social and frequently roost together near rich food
resources. Communal roosts may be ephemeral congregations of birds that form to exploit short-
lived food resources or may be used for decades. Roosts may be used by hundreds of birds or just
two or three depending on the circumstances and the surrounding landscape structure. Because
communal roosts play an important role in the life cycle of Bald Eagles they are protected under the
“disturb and sheltering" provisions of the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act)
of 1940 and their management is considered within the National Bald Eagle Management
Guidelines. However, since the establishment of formal management policies during the late
1960s, communal roosts have been the red-headed stepchild of management activities.

Despite similar protections afforded under the Eagle Act for roosts and nests, most management
programs have focused primarily on nesting sites. One of the primary impediments to protecting
communal roosts is the lack of information on their location. Eagle roosts are often positioned
within remote areas and are notoriously difficult to locate from the ground. Delineating a single
roost may take multiple biologists several early morning and late evening sessions to triangulate
flight lines of birds moving in or out of active roosts. Because of the high investment required to
find roosts, we have very little systematic information on their distribution. However, with the
increased use of satellite transmitters programed to record night locations, information relevant to
roost networks is growing rapidly.

With funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Eagle Foundation, The
Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) has begun delineating and compiling roost locations
throughout North America. The first phase of this project has been to use CCB's extensive bald
eagle tracking database to delineate roosts throughout eastern North America. A second phase
focuses on data from other tracking projects that have information relevant to communal
roosts. To date, more than 1,000 roosts have been mapped across 17 U.S. states and 5 Canadian
provinces.

In early September, CCB launched an online Eagle Roost Registry http://www.ccbbirds.org/maps
that will begin the process of removing the information barrier to roost protection. The registry is
an ongoing program. We are requesting information from eagle tracking projects and individuals
that want to contribute to eagle conservation by improving the state of knowledge about eagle
roosts. Please contact Libby Mojica with roost locations to add to the National Eagle Roost
Registry. Email ekmojica@wm.edu or phone 1-757-221-1680.

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Mobmber 2014

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Site for Raptor Research

Boise State University

Boise State University has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research
Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site grant. This NSF grant partners the Raptor Research
Center and Department of Biological Sciences at Boise State University with The Peregrine Fund,
Inc., Intermountain Bird Observatory at Boise State University, College of Western Idaho, and the
Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area to provide undergraduates
from across the United States opportunity for mentored research experiences with birds of prey.
Dr. Jim Belthoff is the Principal Investigator on this three-year award from NSF, which supports 8
REU students per year.

Summer 2014 REU participant
Rachel Guinea with an Osprey
nestling near Cascade, Idaho.

Through a 10-week summer research and
professional development program, REU-Raptor
Research participants conduct hands-on research on
raptors and (1) develop self-efficacy as researchers,
(2) identify as scientists, and (3) gain an
understanding of the values of the scientific
community. Students experience the full extent of
the research process by attending a research
conference to present findings, and authoring
scientific publications. The core activities of REU-
Raptor Research are designed to enhance students'
understanding of and enthusiasm for scientific
research, increase retention of students in the STEM
pipeline, and help students prepare for research in
graduate school or the workplace.

Students receive a $5,000 stipend, free housing in
campus residence halls, round-trip travel to Boise,
and a meal supplement.

2014 participants (along with their research mentors) were:

• Jarod Armeta*, Cornell College (J. Smith, M. Arshad, and J. Belthoff)

• Michael Eastman, University of Idaho (D. Perkins and M. Bechard)

• Jilma Rachel Guinea, Humboldt State University (D. Anderson and C. McClure)

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Winabmn 23(2)

Mobetnber 2014

• Lauren Kruger, Humboldt State University (J. Heath)

• Patrick Niedermeyer, Pitzer College (J- Barber)

• Sara Pourzamani*, Boise State University (J- Belthoff)

• Stephanie Szarmach*, Oberlin College (R. Miller, J. Carlisle, and G. Kaltenecker)

• Skyler Wysocki, Paul Smith's College, (J- Belthoff)

Four of the 2014 participants (*) received additional travel scholarships from the National Science
Foundation to make poster presentations of their research at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the
Raptor Research Foundation in Corpus Christi in September 2014.

Summer 2014 REU participants Sara
Pourzamani (left) and Skyler Wysocki (right)
banding nestling burrowing owls in the Morley
Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area in Idaho.

Tentative SUMMER 2015 dates for REU-
Raptor Research: May 26 -
July 31

Applications for Summer 2015 will open
in December 2014 and close in late
February 2015. Please visit the project
web site for updates or to submit an
application:

http://biologv.boisestate.edu/reu/

We are especially interested in receiving
applications from groups underrepresented
in science (i.e., women and racial minorities),
first generation college students, students
with disabilities, those returning from
military service, and students from
institutions where STEM research
opportunities are limited.

For additional information or if you have questions, please contact:

Dr. Jim Belthoff, REU-RR

Department of Biological Sciences and

Raptor Research Center

J9

Boise State University

EM

Bolse ' ID 83725

BOISE STATE
UNIVERSITY

Email: reu-rr@boisestate.edu

w n i t b n w i i i

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Winaeom 23(2)

Mobmber 2014

8 th Symposium of the Asian Raptor Research
& Conservation Network

Submitted by Cheryl Dykstra,

Editor, Journal of Raptor Research

In February, I was privileged to represent the Raptor Research Foundation at the Asian Raptor
Research & Conservation Network 8 th Symposium, which brought 250 raptor researchers and
students from all over Asia and throughout the world together in Pune, India. The 4-day
conference was a great success and it was a pleasure to strengthen connections with many fellow
raptor biologists through shared seminars, training sessions, and field visits.

The scientific program showcased a great diversity of projects on Asian raptors. We heard some
encouraging reports on the status of the vulture populations in India and the efforts of scientists
and citizens on their behalf. Researchers showed fascinating new data on satellite tracking of little-
studied species, including Pallas's Fish-Eagles from Mongolia and Amur Falcons tagged in Nagaland,
India, where over 500,000 migrate annually and illegal shooting has been successfully curtailed.
Conservation endeavors in diverse regions were presented in a symposium on “Raptor
conservation and culture/' which was also the theme of the conference, and conservation efforts
and achievements were evident throughout the conference, from vulture work to raptor
rehabilitation to outreach programs to modify traditional views of owls.

Field trips included a visit to a cliff-
nesting colony of Long-billed Vultures
near the village of Kalat in the Pune
District, where researchers cooperate
with local landowners to protect the
nesting sites and educate
schoolchildren about conservation.
Another highlight was the field
excursion to a colony of tree-nesting
White-rumped Vultures near Chirgao
in the Raigad District; here, villagers
work with researchers to study the
birds, protect the forest habitat, and
occasionally provide safe carcasses.
Conservation groups have donated
electricity and wells for the village.

The conference was organized by Ela Foundation, Pune and was held at USER, Pune and Garud
Maachi. I thank Dr. Satish Pande, Organizing Secretary, for the invitation to speak at the ARRCN
and the RRF Board for their support.

© ELA Foundation

Participants of the 8 th Symposium of the Asian
Raptor Research Conservation Network.

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Mobetnber 2014

The Peregrine Fund

Submitted by Susan Whaley

Decreased lead levels in California Condors leave officials cautiously optimistic

Annual trapping and testing of endangered California Condors from the Arizona and Utah flock last
season revealed a substantial decrease in the percentage of birds with toxic blood-lead levels, the
lowest in nearly a decade. Biologists and wildlife officials say the decline is a significant
improvement over the previous year, which was the second worst year on record for lead exposure
and condor deaths since condors were reintroduced to Arizona in 1996. Test results (September
2013 - February 2014) show:

• 16% of birds trapped and tested revealed blood-lead levels indicating extreme exposure,
compared with 42% of birds the previous season.

• The number of birds treated with lead-reducing chelation therapy dropped to 11 birds,
compared with 28 the previous season.

The Peregrine Fund said partners in the condor recovery effort feel hunters' majority use of non-
lead ammunition and their other lead-reduction efforts may be one reason for the decrease in lead
toxicity levels and mortalities. Other factors that could have influenced results include an
unseasonably mild winter and the ability of condors to forage far and wide and consume a variety
of food types.

Biologists confirm Utah's first wild-hatched condor since re-introduction began

After weeks of monitoring, Peregrine Fund
biologists caught a glimpse on 25 June 2014 of
a condor chick being raised by an adult pair in a
nest cave in Zion National Park. It is the first
documented occurrence of California Condors
raising a chick in Utah. The nest, located 1,000
feet above a remote canyon floor, was found by
following radio and Global Positioning System
signals from transmitters mounted on the
chick's parents. The adults began exhibiting
nesting behavior in the spring. Chris Parish,
who heads The Peregrine Fund's condor
recovery program in Arizona said that Utah
has great condor habitat, and this milestone
could be a step toward condors reestablishing
themselves in Utah.

A California Condor in flight.

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Winaeom 23(2)

Mobmber 2014

Young Andean Condor released last year with transmitter is shot and killed

The first Andean Condor to be released in Ecuador with a satellite transmitter was found dead in
April with several bullet wounds. The rescued condor had been released just eight months earlier
and had been providing data related to flight patterns, roosting sites, and other behaviors. It was
the fourth Andean condor to be shot and killed in Ecuador in 18 months, highlighting the need for
education and law enforcement. A second Andean condor with a satellite transmitter was released
in May.

Africa's wildlife threatened by illegal use of pesticides,
lack of rules and enforcement

Chemicals that are used to poison and kill animals in
Africa are cheap, easy to obtain, silent, and so effective that
populations of many species, particularly vultures, are in a
steep and swift decline, according to a report by Darcy
Ogada, Assistant Director of The Peregrine Fund's Africa
programs. Her paper, “The power of poison: pesticide
poisoning of Africa's wildlife,'' was published by the Annals
of the New York Academy of Sciences in April. Her research
showed that laws make it illegal to hunt wildlife using
poisons in 83% of African countries, yet the majority of
poisonings go unreported. Lax regulation, corruption, and
poor enforcement result in widespread abuse, she said.
Recommended solutions include pesticide bans, regulation
and control of distribution, arrest and prosecution of
offenders, and increased education, training, monitoring,
and reporting.

Study reveals threats to raptors from bushmeat hunting in Africa

Hornbills, vultures, and other large birds may be threatened by hunting in the tropical forests of
Central and West Africa, according to a new study co-authored by Munir Virani, Director of The
Peregrine fund's Africa program, and published in June by Oryx, the International Journal of
Conservation. The study found for the first time that an unusually high number of large-bodied
birds were among the discarded animal remains at remote hunting camps in Cameroon's Ebo
forest. Researchers surveyed the camps over a nine-month period in 2011-2012. The remains of
Palm-nut Vultures also were recorded in high numbers. The authors suggest that hunters choose to
consume birds rather than more commercially valuable species such as duiker and porcupine. The
study highlights the urgent need to develop a practical solution to the problem of bushmeat
hunting, which threatens a diversity of wildlife across Africa.

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Winaeom 23(2)

Mobetnber 2014

Recent Theses on Raptors

Turrin, Courtney L. 2014. Rise of a floater class: Behavioral adjustments by breeding Bald
Eagles in a population approaching saturation. M.S. thesis, College of William and Mary,
Williamsburg, VA, USA.

The Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus luecocephalus) population within the Chesapeake Bay has been growing
rapidly for more than 40 years and is now approaching saturation. As the population reaches
capacity, density-dependent mechanisms are expected to constrain reproductive options for birds
of recruitment age, leading to the formation and expansion of a floater class. Negative feedback
from these non-breeding, non-territorial adults has been shown to impact reproductive success of
breeders in raptor species, providing a behavioral mechanism that slows population growth.
However, little is known about the nature of interactions between floaters and established
breeders during the reproductive period. Despite their presence in many populations and species,
floaters remain an enigmatic aspect of population biology. We estimated the growth of the floater
pool from 1990 to 2013 using reproductive data from aerial surveys and a closed BIDE model. We
assessed long-term changes in breeder nest guarding patterns from 1994-2002 compared to 2013
to gauge the response of breeding pairs to increasing floater numbers. We used reproductive
survey data (2006-2013) to identify the period during development when Bald Eagle broods are
most at risk of failure to determine when intrusion poses the greatest threat to nest success.

During observation sessions conducted in the 2012 and 2013 breeding seasons, we quantified
intruder pressure at Bald Eagle nests, characterized the behaviors involved in conspecific
encounters, and examined nest guarding behaviors of breeders. We found that nearly 100% of
newly mature birds were recruited annually into the breeding population in the early 1990's, but
by 2011, less than 1 in 5 birds became breeders in their first year after attaining adult plumage. In
concert with the decline in the assimilation of new breeders, the floater pool has increased over 5-
fold since 1990 with an average doubling time of 2.8 years. We identified the first two to three
weeks after hatching as the critical period for Bald Eagle nest success in the lower Chesapeake Bay,
with the probability of nest failure steadily decreasing from 27% for 1-week-old broods to 7% of
for broods beyond the three-week threshold. The average territorial intrusion rate during the
reproductive period was 0.28 ± 0.32 intrusions/hr. Juvenile intrusions occurred closer to the nest
than adult intrusions, but breeders showed higher response rates toward adult intruders. Breeders
responded to intruders more frequently and more aggressively when in the presence of their
mates. Nests in the posthatching stage were guarded significantly more often than during pre-
laying or incubation periods. Aerial surveys indicated that the frequency of nest guarding by the
second adult during the critical period has doubled from 1994-2002 to 2013. These findings
suggest that floater pressure on breeding pairs is increasing as the population approaches
saturation and that pairs are responding with behavioral adjustments.

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Winaeom 23(2)

Mobmber 2014

Wallace, Zachary P. 2014. Effects of oil and natural gas development on territory occupancy
of Ferruginous Hawks and Golden Eagles in Wyoming, USA. M.S. thesis, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, OR, USA.

Energy development is expanding rapidly across the western US. Negative effects have been
documented for some wildlife, but consequences of development are unclear for other taxa,
including raptors. We had the opportunity to examine effects of oil and natural gas development on
two raptor species of conservation concern, Ferruginous Hawks [Buteo regalis) and Golden Eagles
( Aquila chrysaetos ), in sagebrush steppe and prairie habitats of Wyoming. We surveyed nest sites
of these species using fixed-wing aircraft during 2010-2011, and monitored occupancy of the
resulting sample of historically active breeding territories during 2011-2013 for Ferruginous
Hawks, and 2012-2013 for Golden Eagles. We used single-season occupancy models to evaluate
post-construction effects of oil and natural gas development in the context of other factors
predicted to influence use of territories by these species, including prey abundance, nest site
characteristics, and vegetation. An additional objective was to demonstrate a monitoring protocol
for raptors in Wyoming that used probabilistic sampling and accounted for imperfect detection. In
support of our predictions, probability of territory occupancy by Ferruginous Hawks had a strong
positive relationship to abundance of ground squirrels ( Urocitellus spp.), a strong negative
relationship to vegetative cover of sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.), and was slightly higher for artificial
nest platforms compared to other substrates; and territory occupancy for Golden Eagles had a
strong positive relationship to nest height. Contrary to our predictions, density of oil and natural
gas infrastructure was not strongly related to occupancy for either species, and prey abundance
was not related to occupancy for Golden Eagles. The only anthropogenic factor that influenced
occupancy for either species was density of improved roads not associated with oil and natural gas
fields, which had a weak positive correlation with occupancy for Ferruginous Hawks, contrary to
our predictions. Annual occupancy probability did not vary significantly for either species during
our study, but environmental factors associated with occupancy and the strength of relationships
varied among years for both species, suggesting occupancy was influenced by additional factors not
included in our analysis (e.g., weather, regional dynamics). Detection probability for both species
was <1, and strongly influenced by nest substrates. For Ferruginous Hawks, detection probability
varied significantly between years, and was positively associated with nest height. For Golden
Eagles, detection probability was significantly higher in territories with nests on trees, shrubs, and
anthropogenic structures, compared to those on cliffs and rock outcrops, with a weak negative
trend in detection rates across survey occasions during one year. Our results suggest Ferruginous
Hawks and Golden Eagles used breeding territories that contained active oil and gas roads and well
pads, and density of infrastructure in these territories did not affect their probability of use.
However, we advise that limitations of our approach (i.e., post-construction, short-term,
observational study) make our results most relevant as a baseline for ongoing monitoring of these
species. We suggest protection efforts should be focused on Ferruginous Hawk territories with
abundant ground squirrels and low natural cover of sagebrush, and Golden Eagle territories with
higher nest sites. We recommend conserving populations and habitats of burrowing mammals,
mitigating loss of nests using artificial platforms, and long-term monitoring of Ferruginous Hawks
and Golden Eagles using robust methods that account for imperfect detection.

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Winabmn 23(2)

Mobetnber 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS and BRIEF NEWS ITEMS

For Sale

RRF Publications, Pins, and Decals - Hard copies of The Journal of Raptor Research (Vol. 1-30),
most Raptor Research Reports, and RRF pins and decals may be purchased directly from RRF
(Angela Matz, 101 12th Ave., Room 110, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA; email: angela matz@fws.gov )
See http://raptorresearchfoundation.org/back issues irr.htm for details and prices. Orders for 4
or more issues receive a 30% discount. Hard copies of The Journal of Raptor Research (Vol. 31+)
maybe purchased from Ornithological Societies of North America (5400 Bosque Blvd, Suite 680,
Waco, TX 76710, USA; phone: 1-254-399-9636; email: business@osnabirds.org : web:
http://www.osnabirds.org ). Some older issues are not available in hardcopy; but all issues from
Vol. 1-39 are available on SORA ( http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/jrr/ ) for free download.

Announcements

Radio-transmitters Looking For New Home - Rob Bierregaard has seven 10-gram VHF
transmitters (frequencies range from 150.8 to 151.8) that are looking for a research project. They
are designed for backpack mounting on raptors (reinforced antennae). Three have not been
deployed and four need to be refurbished. They were manufactured by Brad Mueller at American
Wildlife Enterprises ( http://www.americanwildlifeenterprises.com/index.html ).

Contact: Rob Bierregaard at rbierreg@gmail.com .

WINGSPAN
c/o USDA WS
6100 Columbus Avenue
Sandusky, OH 44870 USA

rrfwingspan@gmail.com

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