Yesterday, Catherine and I went to see the Great Horned Owls, and found this scene. The nest was empty, and the adults were gone. We searched all around, but found no trace of them. We did, however, find the previously-missing chick, dead right below the nest. I am not sure what could have killed it, although a bad fall could have done it. With the primaries that far developed it should have been able to break the fall somewhat, but there is no telling whether it hit something on the way down, or perhaps was grabbed by an eagle or hawk.
We are hoping what happened with the other chick is that it fledged, although who really knows…We will keep an eye out for the family, as they will probably stay within this patch of woods. I will remember this unique experience of seeing these bold Great Horned Owls, nesting so close to a walking path in an urban forest.
I went back to photograph the Great Horned owl nest yesterday, and it was much like many bird nests I have taken shots at. Somewhat boring, with brief moments of excitement.
The shoot started with the two chicks taking a nap, with brief stretching and alert periods.
Things got interesting when this Cooper’s Hawk showed up…I thought the adults were asleep, but the one perched above my head gave chase. Danger averted!
Here is the hawk watching from a distance.
This was my attempt to get the landing of an adult on the nest… Not too easy in the low light!
The chicks look interested though.
Here is the adult scoping out a dog and walker.
The adult actually managed to squeeze in there!
A comfy chick cuddles up to its alert parent.
For more owl goodness, check out this video below.
Photos from the Honduran Conservation Coalition website.
I received an email last night from Mark Bonta, a researcher with the Honduran Conservation Coalition, alerting me to some big news from Honduras! A nest of the Red-throated Caracara was found by Isidro Zuniga, a researcher with the coalition in the pine forests of Olancho province. This is a sparsely-populated region of dense forests and rugged mountains which is filled with a multitude of fascinating plants, animals and habitats. You can read the press release from this morning here.
This is big news for raptor biology in general, as it is only the fifth Ibycter americanus nest found by researchers in the world, and the very first from Central America! Not only that, but on a personal note, it means that there are actually other researchers taking up study of my very favourite bird. The Red-throated Caracara was only recently re-discovered in Honduras, by Narish and Jenner in 2004*, also from Olancho. This could mean that there is a stable population of this species in these pine forests, and gives some hope for its continued persistence. For too long this species been neglected by science, despite its fascinating biology, and the fact that it has been nearly extirpated from much of Central America. Now, with sightings in Nicaragua, and this recent discovery in Honduras, I think there is cause for hope for research into the conservation issues for these birds.
In fact, in the press release, the Honduran Conservation Coalition, in partnership with the Peregrine Fund and others state that this is the start of a concerted research effort. The preliminary information is a but a teaser of things to come, and when these data become available they will add greatly to the known biology of the species.
So far, we know that Mr. Zuniga spent six weeks observing the nest, recording prey deliveries and nestling care. The nest was in a pine tree, although from the video it is unclear whether the nest is constructed by the birds or is just a platform on a broken tree (the two nests we have found in French Guiana used a bromeliad as a nesting platform, with no nest material brought by the adults). Only a single chick was being reared, which accords well with our findings in French Guiana.
The nests we found in French Guiana were in large epiphytic bromeliads, which are in short supply in the pine forests of Olancho. What could they be nesting on?
There is also some video of the nest, with footage of adults and the young bird.
I am really excited by these findings, and I eagerly look forward to learning more. How many adults brought prey? What was the nest made of? What kinds of wasps were they preying on? What types of fruits, if any would they find in the pine forests?
All these questions will no doubt be answered in time, and as always, I will be eager to learn more about this awesome bird!
*Narish AJ., Jenner T (2004) Notes on the Red-throated Caracara, Ibycter americanus in Honduras. Cotinga 22: 100.
