VCE Colleague Spearheads Groundbreaking Studies of an Endangered Hispaniolan Seabird

Jim Goetz, a longtime VCE associate and current PhD student at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO), has just launched a field expedition to study one of the world's most rare, poorly-known and critically endangered pelagic birds: the Black-capped Petrel. Following their discovery last winter of an active nest in the eastern mountains of Haiti, Goetz and his team are headed to the Dominican Republic's Sierra de Bahoruco to search for additional nest sites. This rugged and remote mountain range, where VCE has studied Bicknell's Thrush and other montane forest birds for almost two decades, supports the only known nesting population of Black-capped Petrel in the country.

The Black-capped Petrel is known locally as diablotín, or “little devil” in Spanish, probably because of its haunting nocturnal cries. Best estimates suggest that fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs remain, with all known nesting sites in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This crow-sized bird comes ashore for only a 2-3 months to breed, spending the rest of its year as far away as Gulf Stream waters off the Mid-Atlantic United States. Loss and degradation of its high-elevation nesting habitat, primarily forested cliffs, is believed to have pushed the species to precariously low population levels.

The International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group recently brought together participants from 12 countries to produce the first comprehensive conservation action plan for the species. Goetz and his colleagues hope that their field work in the Dominican Republic, and future work planned for Cuba, will discover new nesting locations and yield information critically needed to conserve this highly vulnerable seabird.

For more on Goetz' expedition, read the full story on CLO's web site.


Photo: the first-ever photographed Black-capped Petrel chick on its nest in eastern Haiti. The bird is well-feathered and approaching fledging. Courtesy of James Goetz.