Kirsten Elliott

When we picture Spotted Owls, we often imagine a silent and enigmatic figure amidst the backdrop of a dense and shadowy old-growth forest. However, unlike the California Spotted Owl and the Northern Spotted Owl, the Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) inhabits the four corners region of the United States. Utah’s Spotted Owls seek refuge […]

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Jul 12 2023

Vulnerable Species Documented for the First Time in 30 Years in the Horn of Africa

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For the first time in over three decades, the existence of a vulnerable mammal—the cheetah—has been confirmed in Djibouti. The discovery was made by a team of scientists led by Dr. Megan Murgatroyd of HawkWatch International and the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology during a broad biodiversity study in the Horn of Africa. “Although the

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Mar 17 2023

Meet the 2023 Crew: Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch

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Have you ever wondered where the name “Gunsight” comes from? The mountain our HawkWatch shares a home with has a deep half-circle dip in the peak, resembling a gunsight on a weapon. Gunsight is a relatively new name, documented by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1952. The mountain has also been called “Siz’aani” by the

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Mar 17 2023

What to do with a young, injured, or dead raptor?

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For most people, the only up-close interaction they will have with raptors is when an individual is in dire straits. The spring season is when we see most human and wildlife interaction as newborn birds are just figuring out how to make their way through this big world. Let’s talk about what we can do

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Mar 6 2023

In Search of What is Hard to Find: Updates from the 2022 GRRC Grant Awardees

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Raptors can be elusive animals to work with, and even more so when researching Endangered and understudied species. Our awardees have been hard at work playing their own game of “Where’s Waldo” with their study species. Whether it be trying to observe owls in hard-to-access field sites or getting vultures to reveal their breeding locations,

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