We’re thrilled to share that we’re ramping up our research program on Mexican Spotted Owls! But the owls sure don’t make it easy for us. After two years of conducting on-foot surveys in southern Utah, we realized that biologists needed a better way to monitor owls in rugged and remote canyon habitats. To solve this problem, our team is testing the use of autonomous recording units (ARUs) to passively monitor owls in canyons. In collaboration with state and federal partners, our goal is to develop and rigorously test acoustic monitoring methods that will allow biologists to study, manage, and conserve this Endangered species—whether they can rappel into canyons or not!
📸: @birdbrainjordan and Hunter Birch
#conservation #birdwatching #mexicanspottedowl #utah #fieldwork
Did you know that birth control exists for birds? After a health scare with one of our female Raptor Ambassadors trying to lay unfertilized eggs, our team decided to put a couple of birds on what we call “bird-control.” On the blog, we explain why we made this choice, how birth control has helped our birds, and a bit of science from our veterinarian about how it all works. Click the link in bio to learn more.
📸: @wildlifewithlizzie
#conservation #birdwatching #peregrinefalcon #falcon #raptorambassador
As our spring migration season comes to a close, take a look back with us on how the spring migration network used to look. Although we no longer operate the Sandia Mountains, Rogers Pass, and Jordanelle HawkWatches, these are still fantastic locations to witness the magic of migration. If you visited or worked at any of these sites when they were HWI-led, share your memories in the comments! To learn more about these historic HWI sites, head to our website, link in bio.
📸: J.Smith and @raptorview
#conservation #birdwatching #migration
Tomorrow marks the last day of the Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch season. Thank you to our incredible crew members, partners at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and visitors like you for supporting this research. Over 2,500 birds were counted over 400+ hours! To check out the final count and plan your trip next spring, click the link in bio.
📸: @jesstyrannus
#conservation #birdwatching #gunsightmountain #alaska #migration
Our In-Hand Guide to Diurnal North American Raptors is now available for pre-order! Until Friday at 12:00 PM MDT, we’re accepting pre-orders for the book that over 100 of you have been on the waitlist for! You can’t buy these guides anywhere else, so pre-order yours now to make sure you get a copy, link in bio.
📸: @frankievierela
#conservation #birdwatching #birdID
Life goal: to be as photogenic as a Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owls stand out because, unlike most owls, they are diurnal—meaning they are up and about during the day. If you’re lucky, you might just catch them hunting on foot for lizards and bugs.
📸: @lucasmorgenstern.wild
#conservation #birdwatching #burrowingowl #owl #wildlifephotography
Do you recognize this raptor? Next time you’re in the field and aren’t sure what you’re looking at, check our Raptor ID app! Our free app will provide you with descriptions, photos, range maps, calls, and narrated flight videos to help you nail your next ID quandary. Click here to download: /raptor-id/raptor-id-app/
📸: @arizona.birds
#conservation #birdwatching #crestedcaracara #wildlifephotography #app
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamma birds out there! Did you know that Great Horned Owls continue to care for their young for months after they fledge? Parents will usually stick with their offspring until about the fall, helping feed them and keeping a watchful eye.
📸: Merlin Mendoza
#conservation #birdwatching #greathornedowl #owl #mothersay
It’s World Migratory Bird Day, are you catching the spring migration? Our Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch has just five days left of the season. This site is known for its high concentration of Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawks, Golden Eagles, and Rough-legged Hawks. What spring migrations are you excited to see in your neck of the woods?
📸: David A. Rintoul
#conservation #birdwatching #redtailedhawk #migration
Which is your favorite? Take a trip down memory lane through our many logos. Over our 40 years, we’ve seen a few iterations, and even a name change from the Western Foundation for Raptor Conservation.
#conservation #birdwatching #logo #graphicdesign
Do you know how many species of raptors there are in the United States? What we feel should be an easily Google-able question is surprisingly hard to find. So we made the list ourselves! Head to our blog for this handy new resource, link in bio.
📸: @jesse.l.watson
#conservation #birdwatching #redshoulderedhawk #hawk
Follow forest owls with us! We have space on our June 21-24th expedition into the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona—looking for small Forest Owls like Elf Owls and Whiskered Screech-Owls. If you want to see our work up close, book your spot on a trip today, link in bio.
These birds were handled for the purpose of scientific research under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey and in accordance with all state permitting requirements.
📸: @mattpoolephoto
#conservation #birdwatching #whiskeredscreechowl #owl #arizona
