The Peregrine Fund

to when California Condor 1221, aka "Milagra," was just a little fluffball!

Now she's all grown up and ready to enter the wild at our Annual Public Condor Release on September 28. Milagra will be one of four California Condors released at the event, held in person at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and virtually via our YouTube channel.

To learn more about the event, visit bit.ly/CACORelease24.

📷 courtesy of The Peregrine Fund

Today we're talking kites! (The birds of prey, not the flying toy, but hopefully that was obvious based on our account.)

Some species of kites are known for their hovering or "kiting" behavior during hunting. Their body remains remarkably still while their quick-flapping wings keep them suspended in the air, allowing them to scan the ground for prey movement. They then drop down onto the unsuspecting prey.

There are over 20 species of "kites" across more than 10 genera, and to make matters more confusing, they are not considered one closely-related group of birds. It is likely that each species was originally called a "kite" based on perceived similar features and behavior. But advancements in genetic analyses have revealed that some kite species are actually more closely related to honey-buzzards, buteo hawks, or other genera than to each other.

Learn more about kites at peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species?species=kites.

Yellow-billed Kite in Madagascar 📷 Lily-Arison Rene de Roland
White-tailed Kite in the United States 📷 Jon Parks
Swallow-tailed Kite in the United States 📷 Matthew Danihel
Pearl Kite in Brazil 📷 Russell Thorstrom
Snail Kite in Belize 📷 Diane Allison

When people hear the term "scavengers" they usually think of vultures. But did you know quite a few non-vulture raptor species will scavenge if the opportunity presents itself?

Tawny Eagles are a great example of this opportunistic approach to meals. They are skilled hunters of mammals, birds, reptiles, and just about anything they can catch, while also foraging at garbage dumps and feeding on carrion.

Tawny Eagle at Mugie Wildlife Conservancy 📷 Darcy Ogada

We are sad to announce the death of California Condor 1K from lead poisoning.

1K was the first California Condor to fledge from Zion National Park in 2019 and his studbook number of 1000 signified a remarkable benchmark for the recovery effort, which began with only 22 condors in 1982.

His death from lead poisoning is a tragedy all too common for California Condors range wide. Lead poisoning remains the number one cause of diagnosed fatalities, with just under 50% of diagnosed deaths attributed to lead poisoning since releases began in California in 1992.

Read more about 1K's history, his death, and what The Peregrine Fund and partners are doing to address lead poisoning at bit.ly/CACO1K.

Condor 1K after receiving his "1K" wing tag 📷 Alan Clampitt

You may have seen some of our partners’ posts on the tragic loss of two of our birds that were shot. While we do everything we can to track and monitor the southwest condor population, we can’t be everywhere at once. Thanks to tracking devices placed on the birds for monitoring their movements, we were able to locate and recover these two individuals. We rely on our partners, like Utah DWR and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to help us in cases like this. Their expertise and authority will hopefully bring justice for the condors.

For more information please refer to the statement provided by Utah DWR:

“We are working with the to investigate incidents where two California condors were shot and killed in southern Utah in the last two years. The first condor was discovered during the fall of 2022 in a remote area southeast of Cedar City and north of Zion National Park. The second condor was discovered last month in the same area. Both birds were shot with fi****ms.

If you have any information about these incidents - or those who were involved - please report it by calling
800-662-3337 or by texting 847411. Learn more about the case at the link in our bio.”

🪶: 1001 (Y1)
📸: Heather Morris

Our Southern Kenya team has been busy! The team focuses on the protection of Africa’s many threatened vulture and other raptor species, like the White-backed Vulture. The largest threat to these species remains inadvertent poisoning. In retaliation to predation events, livestock owners sometimes lace carcasses with poison to kill lions and other predators, unintentionally poisoning scavengers in the process.

The team addresses these events with a three-fold approach. The first is rapidly responding to poisoning events to save as many poisoned birds as possible. Following poisoning events, the team works extensively to limit the possibility of repeat instances. Lastly, the team uses community education to help prevent poisoning events in the first place. Here are some updates on these activities.

Since 2023:
- 5 trained Vulture Liason Officers and 10 Vulture Scouts tracked 19 vultures, which led to identifying and decontaminating four poisoning events
- The team visited 119 corrals where livestock had been lost to advise the owner on how to prevent future predation
- They participated in 52 community outreach events in Kenya's Southern Rift Valley, reaching nearly 3,500 people including community chiefs and elders, scouts, and college students
- They held outreach events at six local markets in the Maasai landscape, reaching nearly 1,200 more community members
- They updated a poisoning risk map to target work in high-risk areas

We're excited to hear more in the future about our Southern Kenya team's important work! Learn more about this program at peregrinefund.org/africa-program.

White-backed Vultures 📷 Munir Virani
Vulture Liason Officer Valerie decontaminating poison scene 📷 Ralph Buij
Valerie explains risk of poisoning to villagers 📷 courtesy of Valerie Nasoita
Community outreach event 📷 Abraham Lunaoom
The Peregrine Fund - Africa

We love these updates from our California Condor propagation facility!

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating two incidents of California Condors shot and killed in southern Utah.

The first California condor was discovered during the fall of 2022 in a remote area southeast of Cedar City and north of Zion National Park. The second condor was discovered last month in the same area. Both birds were shot with fi****ms. It's unclear if the two incidents are connected or what type of firearm was used. At this time, previous leads have not yielded results, so the DWR and USFWS are asking the public for information regarding these incidents and those who are responsible.

Learn more:

DWR, US Fish and Wildlife Service seek information after 2 endangered California condors illegally killed near Cedar City Investigators with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking information after two California condors were shot and killed in southern Utah in the last two years.

The Gyrfalcon is the largest falcon species in the world, located in the chilly Arctic regions of Eurasia, North America, Greenland and Iceland. They primarily consume birds (including ptarmigan, geese, and songbirds), but have been known to consume mammal species such as small rodents and hares.

The Peregrine Fund’s Gyrfalcon and Tundra Conservation program studies how climate change is impacting Gyrfalcons and other Arctic raptors, to guide research initiatives and conservation plans for raptors globally. Learn more about the program: peregrinefund.org/projects/gyrfalcon.

📷 Bryce Robinson

Mark your calendars for the 2024 California Condor Release on September 28!

We're excited to announce that the Annual California Condor Public Release is back after a year off due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. On September 28, four condors are set to take their first flights in the wild at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. One of those condors is 1221, also known as Milagra, the condor nestling who won everyone's heart!

Join us in person or via our livestream to celebrate this long-awaited event. Learn more: peregrinefund.org/event/2024-california-condor-release-sep28.

📷 Jim Shane

How do raptors keep cool in the heat?

Raptors have a range of adaptations that vary by species to keep cool in extreme heat:
💧 Many raptors cool off by bathing in, drinking from, or just standing in water. (Black Kite 📷 Nick Dean)

🥵 Similar to how your dogs will pant on a hot day, raptors will open their mouths and breathe quickly to release heat. (Harpy Eagle 📷 Diane Allison)

⛱ Many use the shade to escape from the sun and hunt during the cool mornings and evenings, with a nice afternoon nap to avoid the sun. (Ridgway's Hawk 📷 Marta Curti)

💩 Turkey Vultures have a very special adaptation to cool off: pooping on their feet! The evaporative cooling helps remove heat, while the acidic nature kills bacteria from their scavenging. (Turkey Vulture 📷 Linda Ledbetter)

*New Q&A: Get your raptor questions answered! Drop us a question in the comments or DMs and you might get your answer next week!*

The Dickinson's Kestrel is a small falcon species found in parts of central and southern Africa. It has a very diverse diet of small birds, reptiles, frogs, rodents, and insects, and has even been known to steal food from Gabar Goshawks. As secondary cavity nesters, Dickinson's Kestrels lay eggs primarily in the cavities of large trees such as baobabs.

Learn more about the Dickinson's Kestrel at peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/falcons/dickinsons-kestrel

📷 Simon Thomsett

Q: Do all raptors migrate?

A: No, many raptor species are not migratory at all and stay in the same region year-round. Others can travel thousands of miles twice a year. And some species are partial migrants, meaning some of their population migrates, while some stays resident year-round. In fact, more raptors are considered partial migrants or non-migratory than are considered fully migratory.

🦅 Swainson's Hawks are one of the few raptor species considered (mostly) fully migratory, with birds traveling up to 20,000 km round-trip every year. 📷 Jim Shane
🦅 Egyptian Vultures are partial migrants, with some of their population migrating and some remaining resident. 📷 Munir Virani
🦅 Many endemic island species, like the Ridgway's Hawk, are resident year-round. 📷 Carlos Suárez

*New Q&A: Get your raptor questions answered! Drop us a question in the comments or DMs and you might get your answer next week!*

Happy Fourth of July! 🎆 ❤️🤍💙

Bald Eagle 📷 Jim Shane

Just a beautiful photo of a California Condor by Field Biologist (and phenomenal photographer) Heather Morris. To get more condor content (and Heather's photography) in your feed, follow Condor Cliffs.

📷 Heather Morris

A reminder that we are entering fledging season for many raptor and other bird species! This means that young ones (like these four kestrel fledglings) will be attempting to leave the nest for the first time ever. It can be an awkward, dangerous stage of life for birds as they leave the safety of their nest while still not being fully capable of maneuvering around.

What can you do to help out these awkward "teens"?
🪶 Now more than ever, keeping your cats inside is important to keep grounded birds safe.
🪶 Along those same lines, keep dogs on leash when hiking in natural areas.
🪶 If you find a fledgling in your yard or on your property, admire from a distance to minimize disturbance.
🪶 Do not move the fledgling as its parents are likely still caring for it (unless the bird is in immediate danger).
🪶 If you find an injured or orphaned bird, call your local, licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Do not try to care for the bird on your own.

American Kestrel fledglings 📷 Julia Rice

Learn how California Condors stay cool in the heat! ☀️🏜

How many eggs do raptors lay?

Raptor species have varying clutch sizes (the number of eggs produced in a single nesting attempt). In general, as the size of the species increases, clutch size decreases. But this also varies by region and year to year depending on resources, weather patterns, and stressors.

🥚 Burrowing Owls can lay up to a dozen eggs (📷 Jim Shane)
🥚 American Kestrels usually lay between 3-6 eggs (📷 Jessica Schlarbaum)
🥚 Ferruginous Hawks have an average clutch size of 2-4 (📷 Jim Shane)
🥚 California Condors generally only produce 1 young every other year (📷 Chelsea Haitz)

New Q&A: Get your raptor questions answered! Drop us a question in the comments or DMs and you might get your answer next week!

600th Aplomado Falcon banded!

Our Aplomado Falcon Recovery Program team just banded their 600th nestling in south Texas–a huge moment for the species after over 30 years of conservation efforts. Adding to the excitement, the nest is located at a site that has not seen any breeding activity since Hurricane Harvey wiped out 30% of the population in 2017. This is a sign that the falcon population is continuing to recover from the devastating natural disaster.

Learn more about the history of our longest-running program: https://peregrinefund.org/projects/aplomado-falcon.

📷 Paul Juergens

From fluff to fierce...this Ridgway's Hawk nestling still has quite a bit of development left before it will look like this stunning adult.

Learn more about the Critically Endangered Ridgway's Hawk, endemic to the island of Hispaniola: peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/hawks/ridgways-hawk

Ridgway's Hawk nestling 📷 Nickolas Lormand
Ridgway's Hawk adult 📷 Carlos Suárez

A new collaborative publication in Wildlife Biology examines the diet composition and hunting rates of Martial Eagles in the Masai Mara of Kenya, comparing the eagle to large savanna-dwelling mammalian predators. Read the full publication: https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01223.

📷1–📷3: Munir Virani
📷4: Ralph Buij

We're Hiring: Development Coordinator

The Development Coordinator will work closely with the Development Department to create, maintain, and expand the scope of fundraising and stewardship opportunities. They will support the major gifts team with the coordination and logistics of all donor events.

Details about this position and how to apply can be found at https://peregrinefund.org/employment.

Hana Weaver, Programme manager of The Peregrine Fund and is watching her hatchlings become parents themselves, feeling like a proud grandma😃💚🐣

Hana: “In 2019, I hatched a Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk named Red 9/9, the last known descendant of the Maricao DRNA Office male🦅 Under our care, he fledged successfully from the hack site and dispersed into the wild in August that year. His mom fledged from this very site in Guilarte forest in 2018, then dispersed to Maricao forest to nest in 2019, making her the first known PR Sharpy to disperse between forest reserves on the island. In 2021, I hatched another hawk known as Black 5/K. 5/Ks’ mother was one of the most productive adults we’ve ever monitored: double clutching and fledgling young every year in Toro Negro from 2019-2023! 5/K, along with her two sisters, fledged and successfully dispersed from the release site in August 2021.

This year, Red 9/9 and Black 5/K paired up near their release site and hatched 3 females, one of which I'm holding in this photo. Red 9/9 is an incredible provider, this morning he caught, plucked, and delivered prey to his family with less than 30 minutes between deliveries!💪 Black 5/K is a vigilant protector. She perches high over the territory, keeping a watchful eye out for predators, feeding her young, and keeping them dry and warm through intense storms 🪺💚 This pair means so much to me; they symbolise history, coincidences, and hope.”

Deep in the Darien forest of Panama resides the largest population of Harpy Eagles in Central America, but human persecution and deforestation threaten the species. Since 2000, The Peregrine Fund has been actively working in Darien, Panama to protect the largest wild population of Harpy Eagles in Central America.

A multi-pronged approach is necessary to conserve the Harpy Eagle–our Panama team monitors nests and populations while working with indigenous communities to implement reforestation projects and education programs to prevent persecution. By combining traditional indigenous knowledge with scientific expertise, we develop solutions that are rooted within the communities themselves, rather than imposed from outside.

Learn more about our Darien Conservation Program at peregrinefund.org/projects/darien-conservation.

Harpy Eagle 📷 Angel Muela
Harpy Eagle nest monitoring in 2013 📷 Angel Muela
Darien reforestation project 📷 Pascual Dogirama
Indigenous children’s storybook about raptors 📷 Enea Lebrun
Kuna indigenous community outreach event 📷 Enea Lebrun

A new collaborative publication (with 161 authors from over 100 organizations including The Peregrine Fund) in Biological Conservation raises concern over the impact of expanding energy infrastructure on large, migratory bird species. Read the full publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110525.

Dark Chanting-goshawk 📷 Evan Buechley
Grey Kestrel 📷 Evan Buechley
Prairie Falcon 📷 Jim Shane
Common Kestrel 📷 Evan Buechley
Raptor passing wind turbine 📷 Harry Cunningham & Lindy Martin

The North American Non-lead Partnership has been busy! Check out this article and video from Rocky Mountain PBS highlighting one of their recent recent non-lead ammunition demonstration events featuring CEO and president of The Peregrine Fund Chris Parish:

Hunters join forces with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to promote non-toxic bullets As Colorado's largest statewide, member-supported, multi-media network, Rocky Mountain PBS wants to make sure everyone is seen and heard.

Raptors have incredible nest type diversity with some species choosing nests tucked away in cliffs or in dense tree branches, while others build nests on platform structures out in the open.

Raptor biologists have developed methods for monitoring and accessing these different nest types such as rappelling down cliff sides, using cameras mounted on poles to peer into cavities, or using climbing harnesses and ropes to climb trees.

Aplomado Falcon nest in yucca 📷 Cal Sandfort
Egyptian Vulture nest in cliff 📷 Munir Virani
American Kestrel nesting in tree cavity 📷 Carlos Suárez
Madagascar Fish-eagle nest in tree 📷 Evan Buechley
Osprey nest on raised platform 📷 Jim Shane

We’re excited to announce the first Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk nest of the 2024 season has successfully hatched with two healthy males growing up quickly!

A few days ago, our team banded these two young hawks at the nest. Each hawk is banded with an alpha-numeric color band and a small silver numeric federal band. The more visible color bands allow us to identify individual hawks from a distance. By banding and resighting them later in life, we can learn more about overall hawk survival and their movement through the forests of Puerto Rico.

Photo 1: First of the 2024 season nestlings
Photo 2: Field Biologist, Nashally Folch Mercado, accessing the nest.
Photo 3: Field Biologists, Isamar Flores Rodriguez and Katherine O’Connell weighing one of the nestlings.