Until recently, surprisingly little has been known about the biology and behavior of tropical forest raptors, including such basic aspects as diets, breeding biology, habitat requirements, and population ecology, information critical to the development of conservation efforts. The Peregrine Fund conducted a significant eight-year-long research program on the raptor species, including owls, in Tikal National Park in Guatemala to learn more about Neotropical birds of prey. Impressive and unprecedented in scale, this pioneering research also involved the development of new methods for detecting, enumerating, and studying these magnificent but often elusive birds in their forest home. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of previously little-known species, the resulting book is the most important single source for information on the lowland tropical forest raptor species found in Central America.
Neotropical Birds of Prey covers twenty specific species in depth, including the Ornate Hawk-Eagle, the Barred Forest-Falcon, the Bat Falcon, and the Mexican Wood Owl, offering thorough synopses of all current knowledge regarding breeding biology and behavior, diet, habitat use, and spatial needs. Contributors to this landmark work also show how the populations fit together as a community with overlapping habitat and prey needs that can put them in competition with reptiles and mammalian carnivores as well, yet differ from one another in their nesting or feeding behaviors and population dynamics. The work's substantive original data offer interesting comparisons between tropical and temperate zone species, and provide a basis for establishing conservation measures based on firsthand research. Making available for the first time new data on the biology, ecology, behavior, and conservation of the majestic owls and raptors of the New World tropics, this book will appeal to a wide ornithological readership, especially the many raptor enthusiasts around the world.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by J. Peter JennyAcknowledgments
About the Authors1. The Maya Project
David F. Whitacre and William A. Burnham2. The Maya Forest
David F. Whitacre and Mark D. Schulze3. Gray-headed Kite
Russell K. Thorstrom, David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, and Gregorio López4. Hook-billed Kite
David F. Whitacre and Miguel A. Vásquez5. Swallow-tailed Kite
Richard P. Gerhardt, Dawn M. Gerhardt, and Miguel A. Vásquez6. Double-toothed Kite
Mark D. Schulze, José L. Córdova, Nathaniel E. Seavy, and David F. Whitacre7. Plumbeous Kite
Nathaniel E. Seavy, Mark D. Schulze, David F. Whitacre, and Miguel A. Vásquez8. Bicolored Hawk
Russell K. Thorstrom9. Crane Hawk
Jason Sutter10. White Hawk
Gregory S. Draheim, David F. Whitacre, Angel M. Enamorado, Oscar A. Aguirre, and Aquiles E. Hernández11. Great Black Hawk
Richard P. Gerhardt, Nathaniel E. Seavy, and Ricardo A. Madrid12. Roadside Hawk
Theresa Panasci13. Crested Eagle
David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, and Gregorio López14. Black Hawk-eagle
David F. Whitacre, Juventino López, Gregorio López, Sixto H. Funes, Craig J. Flatten, and Julio A. Madrid15. Ornate Hawk-eagle
David F. Whitacre, Julio A. Madrid, Héctor D. Madrid, Rodolfo Cruz, Craig J. Flatten, and Sixto H. Funes16. Barred Forest Falcon
Russell K. Thorstrom17. Collared Forest Falcon
Russell K. Thorstrom18. Laughing Falcon
Margaret N. Parker, Angel M. Enamorado, and Mario Lima19. Bat Falcon
Margaret N. Parker and David F. Whitacre20. Orange-breasted Falcon
Aaron J. Baker, David F. Whitacre, and Oscar A. Aguirre21. Mexican Wood Owl
Richard P. Gerhardt and Dawn M. Gerhardt22. Black-and-white Owl
Richard P. Gerhardt, Dawn M. Gerhardt, Normandy Bonilla, and Craig J. Flatten23. Ecology and Conservation of Tikal's Raptor Fauna
David F. Whitacre and William A. BurnhamAppendix 1: Body Mass and Sexual Size Dimorphism Data for Maya Forest Raptor SpeciesAppendix 2: Linear Measurements and Sexual Size Dimorphism for Maya Forest Raptor SpeciesLiterature CitedIndex
About the Author :
David F. Whitacre is a former Research Scientist at The Peregrine Fund. J. Peter Jenny is President and CEO of The Peregrine Fund.
Review :
"... a remarkableindeed exceptionalpublication; well produced certainlybut valuable above all because of the enormous contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical raptors that it represents.... To sum upthis is a most impressive volume that documents the efforts of the many people who studied this raptor community and who have greatly advanced our knowledge of Neotropical raptors. It is a fitting tribute to these magni?cent birds and the dedicated researchers involved in the Maya Project." —José Hernán Sarasola
(IBIS) Neotropical Birds of Prey is a handsome tribute to an ambitious project. Not least, the book captures the dedication required to squeeze a decent set of data out of any suite of raptors—a notoriously difficult group to study—much less those of the remote, dense, and humid Tikal forest, with its heavily armed plants, aggressive insects, and venomous snakes.
- Penny Olson (BioScience) "I was not sure what to expect when I first saw the title of this bookbut it quickly became clear that it is a remarkableindeed exceptionalpublication; well produced certainlybut valuable above all because of the enormous contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical raptors that it represents.... To sum upthis is a most impressive volume that documents the efforts of the many people who studied this raptor community and who have greatly advanced our knowledge of Neotropical raptors. It is a fitting tribute to these magnificent birds and the dedicated researchers involved in the Maya Project." — Jose Hernan Sarasola
(IBIS) The in-depth accounts compare favorably to those in the knowledge of tropical raptors.... The book is well referenced, and each chapter is illustrated with tables/figures. An important resource for ornithologists and tropical raptor researchers. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
(Choice) The subtitle of the work may suggest that this is a book for the specialist—and no doubt this is a volume that no raptor expert will want to be without. However, as a simple admirer of birds of prey I found this book hard to put down. So much fascinating information is to be found within its pages, yet it reads like one of the classic Collins New Naturalist or Poyser editions that are familiar to British readers: Leslie Brown'sBritishBirds of Preyor Ian Newton'sThe Sparrowhawk.
(Neotropical Birding)
