Ecuador and Galapagos Island Research: The Evolution of Cooperative Breeding in Tropical Raptors

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This award will support collaborative research between Prof. John Faaborg of the University of Missouri and Prof. Tjitte de Vries of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. The purpose of this collaborative work is to continue work on the polyandrous breeding groups of the Galapagos Hawk, initiate the first studies of the Harris Hawk in truly tropical conditions, and continue observations on other raptors in Andean study sites. Emphasis will be placed on describing demographic traits of these species and the ecological conditions under which they live. Cooperative breeding systems appear to occur in about 3% of bird species overall. However, stable breeding groups have been documented in only two hawks, the Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) and the Harris' or Bay-winged Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus). In the former,, these breeding groups are composed of multiple males and a single female that share a single nest; in the latter species, these groups are apparently monogamous pairs with helpers. By providing further information on the nesting habits of tropical raptors, and involving researchers from Ecuador, this research should increase our knowledge of cooperatively breeding raptors and advance the objectives of the Science in Developing Countries Program.