Meet the 2025 Crew: Manzano Mountains HawkWatch

Aubrey is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and graduated with a degree in Biology. She is excited about her first season as a migration crew member. This past summer, Aubrey worked with a population of Flammulated Owls in Utah for a second season as a HawkWatch International Following Forest Owls Field Technician. She most looks forward to improving her raptor identification, learning to safely capture and handle large birds of prey, and engaging with the public about raptor conservation. In her free time, Aubrey enjoys reading, hiking, and camping. Her favorite raptor is the Red-tailed Hawk.

Originally from Alaska and a transplant to Texas, Taylor recently earned a B.S. in Wildlife Science from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry and an A.A.S. in Environmental and Natural Resource Conservation from SUNY ESF Ranger School. This will be Taylor’s fifth field season and their first time hawkwatching. She is very excited about the upcoming season and most looks forward to honing her in-flight raptor ID, especially of western species, and in-hand aging skills. Taylor’s love for birds started with penguins at age five and has grown into a passion for all types of birds, but particularly raptors. In her free time, Taylor can be found birding, backpacking with friends, or doing various crafts from bookbinding to spinning yarn. And while they won’t get to see this species during this migration, Taylor’s favorite raptor is the New Zealand Falcon.

Javi comes from a background of literature and bookselling but wants to work towards going to graduate school for biology, specifically in wildlife conservation! They’ve done a few bird research projects in Seattle over the last couple of years. Javi looks forward to seeing hawks they’ve never seen before and also getting good at identifying them from a distance! In their spare time, Javi likes crafting and playing video games. Otherwise, they are always birding. Javi’s favorite raptor is an American Kestrel, which was actually their spark bird.

Amanda is excited for her third season with HawkWatch International! She worked at the Goshute Mountains HawkWatch in Nevada for the last two falls and is stoked to be at the Manzanos this year! She looks forward to getting to know her new crew and continuing to enjoy and learn from migrating hawks. Amanda has a degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology from Colorado College and is originally from San Jose, Costa Rica. Last year, Amanda spent seven months working with the endangered Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk. Her favorite raptor to see during migration is the Northern Harrier, since they are so unique and special. She is also an avid rock climber, hiker, and backpacker with a particular love of dogs.

Hannah got an early start with the natural world, growing up birding with her dad. His passion for the outdoors and all natural beings cultivated her love for the very same, especially birds. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Wildlife Conservation, Hannah continued pursuing any bird-related job she could find. Although having the privilege of working with many species throughout her career, raptors have completely captivated her, and she keeps coming back for more seasons of fieldwork with them. Hannah looks forward to trapping these migrating raptors in a new location, but is especially excited about trying her hand at being on observation and experiencing the migration from a different viewpoint. After working with her mentor, Nick Alioto, on the Red-tailed Hawk Project for a few seasons, Hannah can easily say that her favorite raptor is the Red-tailed Hawk. Their generalistic behaviors that allow them to thrive in many ecosystems, combined with their variable plumage, make them an exciting bird to see every single time! When not working, Hannah enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, birding, and kayaking. Pickleball also takes up a lot of her time.