Please give a warm welcome to Tanith Jones, who joins our Conservation and Research Team as our new Research Assistant! In this exciting and important role, Tanith is supporting our UK Conservation Biologist Dr Matt Stevens with our vital conservation work. She’s already got stuck in carrying out transect surveys, helping monitor nest boxes, and even building a few of them herself!

“I am very excited to have recently joined the Hawk Conservancy Trust as a Research Assistant within the Conservation and Research Department. Growing up in Hampshire, not too far from the Trust, I have memories of my parents teaching me how to identify Kestrels and Buzzards from the car on the way to school. It is very surreal to now be working here, 15 years or so later, as part of a very knowledgeable and engaging team that share a wonderful enthusiasm for birds of prey.

I recently graduated from Bangor University with a BSc (Hons) Zoology with Animal Behaviour degree. My initial drive to study stemmed from wanting to pursue veterinary medicine, but during my studies, I quickly found my true interests lie within the world of conservation and research, and of course, birds!

In my third year of study, I completed a 12-month placement in the Scottish Lowlands as part of an EU-funded project, PARTRIDGE. This project focused on farmland biodiversity through specifically designed agri-environmental schemes, their management and the monitoring of our native grey partridge. This year really cemented my love for conservation and how these projects can help improve our understanding on how to protect species through evidence-based conservation. It was eye-opening working alongside landowners, farmers, a variety of scientists as well as politicians; Each person playing an important role, collaborating toward improving farmland biodiversity.

My final year dissertation project was based on Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) morphometric and accelerometry data, investigating energy expenditure of foraging flights around Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli). I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the bird observatory here, getting involved in daily bird counts and ringing. It was an unforgettable experience listening to the eerie sounds of thousands of Manx Shearwater at night, and after months of processing the flight data on a computer, it was incredible to have the opportunity to work in-person with these hardy birds and put the project into a whole new perspective.

Both experiences highlighted my wish to work in ornithological conservation and research, and so to be a part of the British Raptor Programme is very exciting. This programme involves a variety of UK-based conservation projects, including the Raptor Nest Box project, small mammal trapping and raptor transect surveys across the Southeast of the UK. Supporting Dr Matt Stevens, our UK Conservation Biologist, I am looking forward to using my previous experiences as a foundation to contribute to these projects, learn more about our beautiful birds of prey and how best to protect their future within our countryside. The last few months have been action-packed, and I have very much enjoyed getting stuck in from the get-go!”

We are delighted to announce our latest Marion Paviour Award winner for 2024 – Kioko Kilonzo!

Kioko’s project focuses on reducing human-wildlife conflict and protecting critically endangered vulture populations, particularly by engaging local communities and collaborating with them.

In early 2024, a poisoning event at a ranch in Laikipia, Kenya, killed over 50 White-backed and Rüppell’s Vultures. This ultimately inspired Kioko’s project, ‘Mitigating human-wildlife conflict: protecting critically endangered vultures in Laikipia, Kenya.’

Unlike many poisoning events effecting vultures in Africa, where poachers purposefully poison carcasses to target vultures that give their position away, this particular event was fuelled by conflict with large carnivores – with the poisoned carcass believed to be intended for lions as a strategy to reduce threats to livestock. Measures taken by people to protect their livelihoods from real or perceived threats from wild animals can often have wide impacts on animals not intended to be impacted, as was the case here. Projects that seek to change that are vital for creating and maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Kioko shares some thoughts on winning our Marion Paviour Award, and his hopes for his project below!

“I am deeply honoured and thrilled to receive the 2024 Marion Paviour Award! Thank you to the Hawk Conservancy Trust for this recognition and support of our vulture conservation work in Laikipia.

The recent poisoning incidents affecting critically endangered vultures in Laikipia, Kenya, highlight the urgent need for conservation action. As a passionate conservationist working across Kenya’s diverse landscapes, I’ve witnessed firsthand how human-wildlife conflict threatens these magnificent birds. This project represents a crucial intervention, combining rigorous scientific monitoring through field surveys, camera trapping, and community-based data collection with innovative conservation approaches. Through the Marion Paviour Award, we will be able to establish a comprehensive monitoring system, train a network of local vulture guardians, implement early warning systems for poisoning incidents, and create sustainable community engagement programs in Laikipia. My career aspiration is to develop innovative solutions that bridge conservation science with community needs, ensuring the long-term survival of vulnerable species. This award will be instrumental in launching our comprehensive vulture conservation initiative, which we hope will become a model for similar projects across East Africa. By combining traditional knowledge with modern monitoring techniques, we aim to create a future where vultures thrive alongside human communities, maintaining their vital role in our ecosystems.”

We are excited to hear how Kioko’s project progresses – watch this space!

Meet Lauren and Mathilde – the newest interns on the block! Supported with funding from Investec, they’ve joined our Conservation, Research and Education Team for six month each to help kickstart their careers in conservation. From working with our school groups to undertaking onsite bird surveys, each day is different at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Keep reading to hear more about their work with us so far.

Mathilde – Conservation and Research Intern

I am delighted to be joining the Hawk Conservancy Trust as a Conservation and Research Intern. My love for birds, in particular birds of prey, stemmed from nature travel in the UK and abroad in tandem with spending time birding with my grandfather. My interest and love for birds has only grown, in particular since discovering how much I enjoyed bird ringing during university.

I graduated last year from the University of Bristol with a Master’s degree in Zoology where I studied chorusing behaviour in Village Weavers for my dissertation project. I have been spending the last year working on various bird-related projects worldwide. From caring for Darwin Finches on Floreana, in the Galapagos, to monitoring migrating species at Skagen bird observatory, in Northern Denmark, to working with Blue and Great Tits in Wytham woods for the University of Oxford, I have been quite busy. While in the Galapagos, I got the chance to help out on the Short-eared Owl mitigation and fell in love with the birds and have been wanting to have another opportunity to work with such magnificent birds of prey again.

As an Intern at the Trust, I will be carrying out various surveys to continue the assessment of on-site biodiversity including moths, reptiles and birds, which means you will probably see me roaming around with my binoculars and clipboard. In addition to this onsite work, I’ll be working on a meadow comparison project and continuing the small mammal monitoring.

Lauren – Conservation Education Intern

I have always been passionate about animals and having completed my BSC (Hons) in Animal Behaviour I was certain I was going to go into a career working with them. Then I moved to Southampton and got a job working in Pharmacy, which was not quite the career I had planned for! I worked for the NHS for 5 years and during that time I really enjoyed the job, in particular training new members of staff, but I still longed for that career of working in nature.

In January I saw an advertisement for this fun looking Winter Woodlands Lights event at the Hawk Conservancy Trust, having missed the Christmas lights I had hoped to see, this seemed like a great opportunity. Not only was it stunning lights, but it included owls, one of my favourite birds! Not long after visiting I saw the advert for the Conservation Education Internship. Having really enjoyed training at my previous job, having a love of birds of prey and wanting to get into a wildlife career it seemed like the perfect path, so I was delighted when I was offered the internship.

During my internship I have been staying on site, allowing me to be entirely immersed in nature, including being surrounded by birds singing from dawn until dusk and even sometimes during the night! I’ve also been helping out with some of the conservation efforts on site, including moth trapping and small mammal trapping. No day at the Trust has been the same so far, and I have been involved in several projects including evaluating our conservation messages that will be shared on International Vulture Awareness Day. I also have been helping run, evaluate and even set up a workshop for children visiting with their schools. And, very excitingly, I have created my own educational game which some lucky children (and adults!) got to enjoy at our spectacular Dream Night!

The skills and knowledge I have learnt at the Trust will help me greatly towards achieving my goal of gaining a career in nature!

At the Hawk Conservancy Trust, we’re working hard to achieve our mission to conserve birds if prey and their habitats, both in the UK and overseas. We are often asked by our visitors and supports if there is anything they can do to help birds of prey. Our Conservation and Research Team has put together a top tips list on how you can support birds of prey here in the UK.

Where possible, don’t use rat poisoning (rodenticides), use traps instead if rodents become a nuisance

Many birds of prey in the UK feed on rodents, including rats, voles, shrews and mice. Traces of rodenticides have been found in the vast majority of UK birds of prey – even in those which do not eat rodents specifically. Ongoing poisoning of birds of prey, and all wildlife in fact, affect their chances of survival and can lead to a decline in their numbers. If there is no other option and you must use poisons, it is really important to follow the legal instructions printed on the label.

Don’t chop down mature trees and leave dead wood where possible

Mature trees host huge diversity, all important for providing a food source for birds of prey. This includes invertebrates such as insects and spiders, as well as small and large birds, and small mammals such as voles, mice and shrews.  Mature trees also provide homes for birds of prey, with an abundance of resources and opportunities for shelter and nesting/breeding.  Even standing dead trees are incredibly valuable in hosting vast numbers of invertebrates and providing potential nest sites for cavity-nesting birds of prey, such as owls and kestrels.

Keep ivy on your trees

Ivy is only really a problem for trees when it is growing throughout the crown. In these circumstances, it can prevent the tree’s leaves from obtaining sufficient light. In most cases, especially when just growing up the trunk, ivy does not have any impact on the tree; it is not a parasite and doesn’t take anything from the tree.  There are many wildlife benefits from leaving ivy that is growing on trees – it can provide fantastic opportunities for nesting for many birds, its nectar is incredibly attractive to bees and other pollinators, and it produces berries which are a staple in the diet of many birds in winter. This helps encourage a healthy food chain for birds of prey.

Keep ivy on your walls

Ivy does not damage the brickwork of buildings and may actually help to protect it from the elements.  All of the wildlife benefits mentioned above for ivy on trees apply here too and provides an easy way of greening-up the built environment.

Put up small bird boxes to encourage healthy food chains

The addition of nest boxes on your patch can provide much-needed nest sites for birds in places where there is a shortage.  A healthy population of small birds is good in many ways – both purely ecological (a balanced environment and wildlife populations) and in assisting with natural control of populations of species which may impact food production or human health. The loss of opportunity for birds to nest is a threat to both small birds and birds of prey.  At the Hawk Conservancy Trust, we have installed and managed over 1,500 nest boxes on our Raptor Nest Box Project for four UK bird of prey species – Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Barn Owl and Eurasian Kestrel.

Let gardens grow bushy – provide homes for invertebrates and use local/native plant species to help keep a healthy food chain

Overly-tidy and rigorously-tended gardens tend to hold reduced wildlife populations compared with those which have even small areas that are allowed to become wild.  Allowing some wilder patches within a garden can provide lots of opportunities for invertebrates, birds and mammals, and help encourage a healthy food chain for birds of prey and other wildlife. Consider using local or native plant and flower species to reduce the impacts of transportation (reduced carbon footprint and energy consumption), importation (limiting the potential for importing associated disease and harmful non-native animals/invertebrates} and boost populations of local species.

Birds of prey are important – as apex predators, they’re a good indicator of the health of the ecosystem

Celebrate the presence of birds of prey! The number of birds of prey heavily depends on there being healthy numbers of species that they feed on, and the number of birds of prey will be regulated by the numbers of those prey species.  If you are seeing a lot of Red Kites or Sparrowhawks or Barn Owls, it means there is a good availability of carrion (dead animals), small birds and field voles, respectively in that area.  Many birds of prey that hunt animals or birds (as opposed to feeding from carrion) target the weaker individuals of their prey.  This plays an important role in keeping the general population of the prey species healthier.

Don’t feed Red Kites

Red Kites are very skilled at finding their own food here in the UK and do not need to be fed.  Feeding of Red Kites can result in birds developing unwanted behaviours (such as approaching too closely to humans) which can be detrimental to the birds and put them at risk.

Enjoy seeing Red Kites – they’re a good conservation success story

Red Kites are a fantastic success story and help provide hope for what can be achieved in conservation.  They are harmless to people and pets, and their presence is not impacting on the numbers of Buzzards or Kestrels. Red Kites were abundant across the UK in the past, and were sadly pushed to extinction in England and Scotland until the late 20th Century. We are proud to have played a part in breeding and reintroducing these beautiful birds back into our countryside between 2003-2005 as part of the Red Kite Reintroduction Programme. We should all enjoy seeing their fantastic flight and beautiful plumage.

Look up and be aware of all birds in urban and rural areas to spot birds of prey

There are so many fantastic species of bird to see and enjoy watching in the UK.  Being aware of the wildlife around you can generate an enormous sense of wellbeing.  The more people who are interested in wildlife, the greater the chances we have of protecting and nurturing it. It is not only in rural areas that you can spot birds of prey, many Peregrine Falcons have taken to nesting in urban areas, including church towers.

Your support is vital to help us conserve birds of prey. Without the generosity of our visitors, members and donors, we would not be able to carry out our important conservation and research work to protect these incredible animals both here in the UK and overseas. Find out ways you can support our work and help us to conserve birds of prey.

Meet Jamie

Join us for an inspirational day at the Hawk Conservancy Trust!

Our birds bring the curriculum to life, with world class flying displays and highly knowledgeable and friendly staff, a day at the Hawk Conservancy Trust provides a fun, immersive learning experience outside of the classroom.

Here at the Trust, Education is a core part of our mission to conserve birds of prey. We have a long history of providing high quality educational experiences for a full range of schools, with a fantastic range of fun and interactive workshops and school visit packages available. Whether you are looking to discover the various adaptations of our birds, or explore our various conservation projects, we provide a tranquil setting in which children are free to explore the natural world around them.

Why not add a workshop to your day with us, to further enhance the learning outcomes of your day! Our workshops are tailored to the national curriculum, as well as being flexible to incorporate your own groups’ specific learning objectives. Currently we have five workshops available, which cater for a full range of key stages and cover a range of topics. From Reception classes exploring the wonderful world of owls, to secondary schools exploring our various conservation projects in the UK and overseas.

Prices start from just £45 per workshop, for more information please visit our website. Specialist workshops are also available for College and University students, for further information please contact our dedicated education team – we would love to hear from you!

Our workshops are also available to home school groups with a minimum of 12 children, again please contact our dedicated education team for more information.

We understand that funding can be limited for schools, and that the rising cost of transport has made coach travel very difficult. We are here to help! We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a £100 travel bursary to eligible schools to contribute towards the cost of coach hire during your visit. This bursary has been made possible by the generous support of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. For further information, please contact our dedicated education team (education@hawkconservancy.org).

We still have availability this Summer term, so hurry and book your place!

We look forward to welcoming you the Trust this Summer.

Since 2008, we’ve been providing nest boxes for Tawny Owls, Barn Owls, Little Owls and Kestrels across southern England as part of our Raptor Nest Box Project. Through your support, what started with a project of just 38 boxes has now dramatically expanded to over 1300!

This important project aims to provide homes for these key species to help boost their population. These nest boxes are also monitored regularly to better understand the behaviour and ecology of these birds so we can improve how we conserve them. Let’s take a look at our four species involved in the project!

Barn Owl

Voted the UK’s second-favourite bird (coming in close behind the Robin), the Barn Owl is one of the most widespread birds of prey around the world. They are a fantastic bird to spot in the wild, actively hunting at dusk or dawn so often spotted on people’s commutes! They have a distinctive style of flight known as ‘quartering’, flying very low and slowly over open grassland in search of prey. If you’ve ever been to see our Woodland Owls flying display, you’ll have seen this beautifully demonstrated by Delta and Elder!

The name Barn Owl derives from their tendency to nest in barns and old buildings, a habitat which is sadly becoming less and less available in our developing landscapes.

Luckily this species also appears happy to settle down in nest boxes – so much so they’ve had designs specially created to suit them! The features unique to this species’ include a deep cavity nest where the entrance hole is placed quite high up. This means the growing owlets cannot fall out of the box before they’re ready to take to the wing. The owlets are also provided with a platform ledge outside the entrance hole, meaning when they do begin to grow they can take their first peek at the outside world without falling out and being at risk of other predators. A canopy above the box also ensures the growing family can stay dry in the face of the inclement British weather.

We currently have 780 Barn Owl next boxes installed across Southern England as part of this project. Our UK Conservation Biologist, Dr Matt Stevens, works hard to maintain and monitor these nest boxes, and while he cannot check each box every year it is estimated that a minimum of 198 chicks fledged from 150 boxes checked during 2023.

While these boxes may be designed for Barn Owls in particular, this does not seem to stop other birds from pinching their boxes! During Matt’s work monitoring these boxes, he’s recorded opportunistic Tawny Owls, Little Owls and Kestrels utilising Barn Owl boxes!

Tawny Owl

This much loved and charismatic bird is one of the most common owls heard in our countryside, preferring woodland habitat to nest and hunt. You may be surprised to hear that this is the only owl in the world to make the classic “twit-twoo” call often associated with owls. If you are lucky enough to be wandering through a local woodland and hear this distinctive call, you are in fact listening to two owls calling to each other, with one calling “twit” with the other replying “twoo”.

Tawny Owls are also referred to as the Ivy Owl as they prefer to nest in hollow cavities within ivy-covered trees. Unfortunately, these sheltered nesting spots are becoming harder to come by. Since the start of the Raptor Nest Box Project, we have installed 181 specially designed boxes, which mimic the hollow trees they prefer.

Tawny Owl chicks are highly adventurous and tend to leave the nest well before they are able to fly. The young owlets hop inquisitively from branch to branch, exploring their surroundings, a behaviour known as “branching”. Therefore, boxes for Tawny Owls need a large high entrance hole, with a deep, narrow chamber inside to delay these adventurous chicks emerging before they are ready to fly.

Due to this branching behaviour, chicks will often fall to the ground, with thick fluffy feathers to soften their landing. With strong beaks and feet, even at a young age they are usually able to climb back up the tree to the nest, and their parents will continue feeding the youngster even while they are on the ground.

It is this adventurous behaviour that make young Tawny Owls the most frequent admission to our National Bird of Prey Hospital^TM, making up approximately a third of admissions annually.

If you do come across a young Tawny Owl on the ground, the best thing to do is leave it where it is, unless it is in immediate danger. If you are concerned, please call our National Bird of Prey Hospital^TM for advice.

Little Owl

If you keen eye, you may have spotted the UK’s smallest owl species, the aptly named Little Owl, perching on the top of fence post around farmland areas. This species of owl was first introduced to the British Isles back in the 19^th Century, possibly as a form of pest control on farmland. Like Barn Owls, Little Owls are crepuscular, meaning they prefer to hunt at dawn and dusk, feeding mainly on a tasty diet of insects, as well as small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Their scientific name Athene noctua alludes to the close association of this species with the Greek goddess Athena, as well as the Roman goddess Minerva, and is therefore believed to represent wisdom and knowledge.

The Little Owl is also one of the species for which we provide nest boxes, with 69 nest boxes installed to date. As with all of the species we support within our Raptor Nest Box Project, the Little Owl has specific requirements when it comes to nest box design.

Due to its small stature, the size of the entrance hole is only a maximum of 70mm in diameter! Once inside the nest box there is a narrow tunnel with a corner that turns on a right angle and drops into the main nesting chamber. This is to deter predators from being able to enter the nest and gain access to the young owlets.

Kestrel

This iconic bird, famous for its unrivalled hovering capabilities, can hang above grassland habitats, detecting movements from even the smallest of its prey.

Despite their small size, these birds can be very territorial. Around their nest sites, the parents will use aggressive flight displays and alarm calls to deter any intruders. Unfortunately, these beautiful birds have been in decline since the late 20^th century, and as a result this species as been ‘Amber-listed’ as a species of conservation concern within the UK. The exact cause of the decline in Kestrel numbers is unknown, although contributing factors are thought to include loss of habitat, decline in food sources, chemicals used in agriculture, and a dwindling supply of nest sites.

Kestrels prefer to nest in tree hollows and artificial cavities within old buildings, both of which are now harder to come by. By providing artificial nest sites we can attempt to provide alternative spots for this species to nest in.

Artificial nest boxes have a large open front, and only a comparatively small lip to deter the chicks from walking off the nest. A perch is installed on the outside of the box opening, allowing the parents to perch next to the nest and keep an eye on their youngsters. While these boxes are designed for Kestrels, Dr Matt Stevens has also recorded Barn Owls and Tawny Owls setting up home in these nest boxes.

A total of 332 Kestrel nest boxes have been installed as part of our Raptor Nest Box Project, with a minimum of 170 chicks fledging in 2023. These boxes are also monitored as part of the Kestrel Conservation Monitoring Project, which aims to assess whether the installing these nest boxes across the landscape affects Kestrel populations.

Dr Campbell Murn, Head of Conservation, Research and Education at the Hawk Conservancy Trust, together with an international team of researchers has revealed how Africa’s savanna raptors are facing an extinction crisis.

The research, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution on 4 January 2024, describes declines in nearly 90% of 42 species assessed, and suggests that more than two-thirds may now qualify as globally threatened.

The study led by Dr Phil Shaw from the University of St Andrews and Dr Darcy Ogada of The Peregrine Fund,  and co-authored by Dr Campbell Murn as part of an international team, combines counts from road surveys in four African regions over 20–40 year timeframe and yields unprecedented insights into rates of change in the abundance of Africa’s savanna raptors.

Large raptor species in particular have experienced much steeper declines than smaller species, particularly on unprotected land, where they are more vulnerable to persecution and other human pressures. Overall, raptors have declined more than twice as rapidly outside of National Parks, Reserves and other protected areas than they had within. Worryingly, many species experiencing the steepest declines had suffered a double jeopardy, having also become much more dependent on protected areas over the course of the study.

The conclusion is that unless many of the threats currently facing African raptors are addressed effectively, large, charismatic eagle and vulture species are unlikely to persist over much of Africa’s unprotected land by the latter half of this century.

The study also highlights steep declines among raptors that are currently classified as being of ‘least concern’ in the global Red List of threatened species. They include African endemics such as Wahlberg’s Eagle, African Hawk-eagle, Long-crested Eagle, African Harrier-hawk and Brown Snake-eagle, as well as Dark Chanting-goshawk. All of these species have declined at rates indicating that they may now be globally threatened.

Several other familiar, widespread raptor species are now scarce or absent from unprotected land. They include one of Africa’s most powerful raptors – the Martial Eagle – as well as the highly distinctive Bateleur.

Dr Campbell Murn commented “Africa’s savanna raptors are an incredibly important part of the ecosystems where they live, and their disappearance will likely have major ecological consequences that we do not yet fully appreciate. Ecosystem functioning, cascade effects on other species and consequences for disease ecology are just some of the things we need to be concerned about with the ongoing disappearance of these birds. Conservation solutions for raptors are often distinct, or in addition to, efforts directed at other species like large carnivores and herbivores; we need to underpin these efforts with quality research and implement them quickly.”

Dr Phil Shaw commented: “Since the 1970s, extensive areas of forest and savanna have been converted into farmland, while other pressures affecting African raptors have likewise intensified. With the human population projected to double in the next 35 years, the need to extend Africa’s protected area network – and mitigate pressures in unprotected areas – is now greater than ever”.

Dr Darcy Ogada added: “Africa is at a crossroads in terms of saving its magnificent birds of prey. In many areas we have watched these species nearly disappear. One of Africa’s most iconic raptors, the Secretary bird, is on the brink of extinction. There’s no single threat imperiling these birds, it’s a combination of many human-caused ones, in other words we are seeing deaths from a thousand cuts”.

Professor Ian Newton OBE FRS, FRSE, a world-leading ornithologist who was not involved in the study, commented: “This is an important paper which draws attention to the massive declines in predatory birds which have occurred across much of Africa during recent decades. This was the continent over which, only 50 years ago, pristine populations of spectacular raptors were evident almost everywhere, bringing excitement and wonder to visitors from many parts of the world. The causes of the declines are many – from rampant habitat destruction to growing use of poisons by farmers and poachers and expanding powerline networks – all ultimately due to expansions in human numbers, livestock grazing and other activities. Let us hope that more research can be done and, more importantly, that these birds can be protected over ever more areas, measures largely dependent on the education and goodwill of local people.”

Raptors of all sizes lead an increasingly perilous existence on Africa’s unprotected land, where suitable habitat, food supplies and breeding sites have been drastically reduced, and persecution from pastoralists, ivory poachers and farmers is now widespread. Other significant threats include unintentional poisoning, electrocution on power poles and collision with powerlines and wind turbines, as well as killing for food and belief-based uses.

The late Dr Jean Marc Thiollay laid the foundation for this study in the 1970s, by initiating a remarkable long-term monitoring effort in West Africa, where the average decline rate was more than twice that of other regions. The Peregrine Fund’s Dr Ralph Buij, who has re-surveyed some of the original areas, noted that: “the human footprint is particularly high throughout West Africa’s savannas, and the near complete disappearance of many raptors outside that region’s relatively small and fragmented protected area network reflects an ecological collapse that is increasingly affecting other parts of the continent. Some raptors that occur mostly in West Africa, such as the little-known Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle, are vanishing into oblivion.”

The study’s findings highlight the importance of strengthening the protection of Africa’s natural habitats and aligns with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15 goal of expanding conservation areas to cover 30% of land by 2030. They also demonstrate the need to restore natural habitats within unprotected areas, reduce the impact of energy infrastructure, improve legislation for species protection, and establish long-term monitoring and evaluation of the conservation status of African raptors. Crucially, there is a pressing need to try to increase public involvement in raptor conservation efforts.

To this end, the study’s authors have developed the African Raptor Leadership Grant to address the immediate need for more research and conservation programmes. It supports educational and mentoring opportunities for emerging African scientists, boosting local conservation initiatives and knowledge of raptors across the continent. This initiative, which was launched in 2023, awarded its first grant to Joan Banda, a raptor research student at AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute in Nigeria, who will be studying threats to African owls.

The article can be found here.

If you would like to support in funding for the grant please donate to our JustGiving page.

We’re excited to announce a new publication co-authored by Dr Campbell Murn, our Head of Conservation, Research and Education. The paper looks at differences in the visual field of African Harrier-hawks (AKA Gymnogenes) and other birds of prey and how this relates to their distinctive hunting style.

The paper was co-written Dr Campbell Murn alongside a team of evolutionary and comparative ecophysiologists and biologist (researchers who study the physical features of birds and how they may have evolved). We have worked with Dr Steve Portugal from Royal Holloway University of London, Prof. Graham Martin from the University of Birmingham and Dr Simon Potier from Lund University in Sweden over the years to investigate the unique physiological features of birds of prey held at the Trust.

Through these collaborations, we have  discovered just how powerful the kicks of Secretary Birds are when they dispatch prey, and how the distinctive visual field of White-headed Vultures resembles a predatory eagle. Other research has highlighted how visual fields and foraging behaviour affects collision vulnerability in Gyps vultures. We had Simon visiting the Trust again in December, investigating the flexible leg joints in African Harrier-hawks and look forward to seeing the results of his work soon!

Many of the species we study are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Sometimes we work with species like the African Harrier-hawk that are classified at Least Concern and this can provide opportunities to extrapolate our findings to other, more threatened species and hopefully inform conservation practices. Birds of prey, especially vultures, are threatened in many parts of the world; the more we can understand them, the better we are able to plan and conserve them.

Overall, this process of researching and publishing can take years, from analysing and writing up the data, to internal checks between authors and the lengthy peer review process where scientists and professionals in the scientific community comment and feedback on the draft. It can take several rounds of edits and feedback and several months, sometimes over a year before a paper is finally published in a journal for the rest of the scientific community to share. We are therefore always excited to share our work once it is published. You can read the published literature from our Conservation and Research team on our website here.

We have recently rounded up our fieldwork in Kruger National Park investigating the elusive lives of Hooded Vultures.

The project began in 2016 in collaboration with the Birds of Prey Programme of South Africa’s Endangered Wildlife Trust, the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania in the USA. It was started because Hooded Vultures are listed as Critically Endangered due to recent declines across much of their African range. We began this project to find out more about the ecology of these birds, from nesting sites to behaviour and interactions with other species so we can plan for their conservation.

What does a typical day in the field researching Hooded Vultures look like?

Our Head of Conservation, Research and Education Dr Campbell Murn has carried out much of the fieldwork for this project and describes what a day working on Hooded Vulture ecology research looks like. Hooded Vultures nest inside the canopies of large trees along rivers, making their nesting sites difficult to survey from the air or the ground. Hooded Vultures are not well studied in southern Africa probably due to their nest locations in secluded areas.

‘On an ordinary day, I’ll get up really early. I’ll pick up whoever I’m working with that day, usually game guards, at about 6.30AM. And then off you go! There’s lots of driving and lots of walking.

When our Hooded Vulture project started, it took ages to find nests. Ages and ages and ages. We’d spend all day trudging through the river, walking through soft sand looking up at these really tall trees so you get a really stiff neck. And working along rivers is dangerous; there’s always the risk of a buffalo, hippo or elephant around the corner. And then not finding any nests at the same time is just really hard. But we got there in the end!”

After years of data collection, we have so far published two research papers on Hooded Vulture ecology and their behaviour. One paper details three recorded instances of in-flight interactions between Hooded Vultures that involved talon-grappling and cartwheeling, which had not been described previously. You can read this paper here.

The second paper published so far from this project investigated Hooded Vulture nests and whether other species took over nest sites, or if predation events reduced breeding success. Across 12 Hooded Vulture nests, 33 different species were recorded visiting by camera traps over 93 nest-months. Adult Hooded Vultures used their nests year-round and not just during the breeding season. Egyptian Geese were visitors to nests, but did not apparently lead to the nest being abandoned the vultures, nor did the geese seem to affect breeding success. Two cases of breeding failure were linked to two species: one case of egg predation by a Chacma Baboon, and one case of a Martial Eagle predating a nestling. These findings have implications for conserving Hooded Vultures. You can also read this paper on our website here.

So, what’s next?

We will analyse and publish the remaining data collected from the years of Hooded Vulture fieldwork. Vulture fieldwork will continue in Kruger, although now the focus is on our new Lappet-faced Vulture Project, which aims to conserve their nesting sites. You can find out more about this new project here