New population of critically endangered raptor discovered in Haiti

Abstract

Since the last recorded sighting in 1962, Ridgway’s Hawk was unknown from Haiti and was presumed extirpated. But, in August 2019, colleagues from the Haitian conservation organization, JACSEH (Jeunes en Action Pour la Sauvegarde de l’Ecologie en Haïti), observed two Ridgway’s Hawks on Petite Cayemite Island, Haiti, and in February 2020 a field expedition reconfirmed the presence of two individuals on Petite Cayemite and an additional one on neighboring Grande Cayemite Island.