The continuing efforts of the research team supported by the Peregrine Fund and the Moscoso Puello Foundation and assisted by members of the Hispaniolan Ornithological Society (SOH) have increased our understanding of the population status of this highly endangered hawk, which is only found in Los Haitises National Park in the north east part of the country. The park is a dramatic landscape of karst hills with small valleys in between. This is the habitat favored by the hawk for hunting.
In addition, Lance Woolaver has now spent two seasons observing nests. He will be back this spring for another season. He has captured several individuals to obtain scientific data about weight and size and blood to be analyzed, and then banding and releasing the birds, with the expectation that they may be observed in seasons to come. A full report can be found in the web page of Wildlife Preservation Trust Canada (www.wptc.org).

This means that we have new opportunities to take visitors to see the hawk. The optimum time is during the nesting season from mid March to mid May.
The visit would be best scheduled after the regular tour. We would drive directly to Sabana de la Mar and stay at the Caño Hondo Hotel. This charming small hotel is right on the edge of Los Haitises. One of the recently discovered nests is within an hour’s walk from the hotel and we would be able to visit it in the morning and then return to Santo Domingo in the afternoon. One of the guards has located an Ashy-faced Owl within a very short drive of the hotel. This is an added attraction of this trip and at the moment the only reliable site for this bird. We would go out to look for it in the evening.

Another benefit of the trip is the presence of a large population of White-necked Crows, a species that is often elusive in the main itinerary.
An alternative option could be to stay another night and either in the afternoon or the next morning take a boat trip down the beautiful coastline of the park, seeing frigate birds and pelicans and visiting caves with Taino indian petroglyphs. We would then return to Santo Domingo after lunch.

Please note in general this trip is not difficult, however the walk to see the hawk is steep and can be muddy.
I will continue checking on the status of the nests. As we all know, it is not a good plan to make promises about finding birds. Keep in touch!

COSTS :

Car rental and gas: $185 per day
Hotel : $70 per person per night
Meals: about 420 pesos per person (not including lobster)
Guide : $100


SOH is supported by The Peregrine Fund and the National Aviary for a major campaign to educate the members of communities around the park about the importance and vulnerability of this rare hawk.