Hawk Creek is thrilled to announce that we welcomed a very special breeding pair to our avian conservation program, Kenya and Tsavo, the Bateleur Eagles. Propagation of these birds is vital to the survival of their endangered species. We are honored to once again be working with our good friends and leading eagle conservationists, Sia, on the journey to help this incredible species. Through these cooperative partnerships the Center is able to expand our conservation work globally. To date we have been unable to locate any other breeding pairs of Bateleur Eagles in the country as they are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity and many of the resident Bateleurs are of advanced age. Our goals for this project are to encourage these birds to breed and raise their young which can then become part of other projects to further propagate this imperiled species as well as to become educational ambassadors to educate people on Bateleurs and how all of us can work together to help this colorful bird win its fight against extinction in its native Africa. We can only hope that it is enough, otherwise reintroduction projects will be required and the current captive population is not robust enough to repopulate the wild. We look forward to sharing this journey with you!

 

The Need For Global Eagle Conservation

In 2020 we learned of devastating news for African eagle conservation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has re-assessed both Martial and Bateleur Eagle populations and found that both are hurtling toward extinction faster than previously anticipated. These two species face many of the same challenges in the wild with the leading threat being direct and indirect poisoning by humans. Combined with habitat degradation, poaching, and dangerous powerlines, this has led the Bateleur to be listed as endangered when as recently as 2008 they had been listed as least concern. In 12 years, these remarkable raptors have gone from common to endangered. This is an alarm we cannot ignore!

While this news is disheartening, it can also be seen as an important step in raising awareness of the critical need for more protections. The IUCN has taken action by identifying conservation sites for both Bateleur and Martial eagles. Additionally, both are included in some international management and trade controls, such as compensating farmers for livestock losses.

However, the IUCN states that more awareness and communication is needed to prevent Bateleur and Martial eagle populations from continuing to slide. Specifically, the IUCN recommends education campaigns to prevent the use of poisoned baits, a practice primarily used by large-scale commercial farmers. Additionally, the IUCN states more monitoring and research is needed to further the conservation of these raptors across their ranges which include African countries south of the Sahara Desert.