A POWERFUL REBOUND IN PUERTO RICO
This year brought an uplifting breakthrough. During the breeding season, our team carefully collected 12 eggs from wild nests, each one a fragile promise of recovery. Nine
TPF Complete Conservation™ Pillar
Not long ago, the Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk stood on the edge of extinction. After Hurricane María devastated the island in 2017, only 19 hawks were known to have survived. Found nowhere else on Earth and listed as Endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act, this small, forest-dwelling raptor is far too unique and important to lose. Since that storm, our Puerto Rico team has spent years trekking through dense, trail-less Evidence to Action Pipeline The Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk’s recovery has been shaped by a willingness to pause, reassess, and change course whenever the evidence demands it.
hatched and thrived under expert care in our new propagation facility. And for the first time since 2021, we released young hawks into the wild again, with nine hand-reared birds taking flight into the dense Puerto Rican forests. At a new release site built deep in the forest— with better light, airflow, and shelter—the young hawks strengthened their wings and learned to hunt. Every single bird that hatched in our care survived and eventually left the release site, marking a major step forward for the species. Today, we know of 45 Puerto Rican Sharp- shinned Hawks occupying 13 territories on the island, indicating a powerful rebound from the 19 observed after the 2017 hurricane. In total, 82 hawks have fledged under our care since 2018. In 2025, our work also expanded to help another hawk in crisis: the Puerto Rican Broad-winged Hawk. Through partnerships with Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and community allies, including the non-profit Casa Pueblo, both species now have renewed hope for recovery.
terrain to find, monitor, and protect these elusive birds. Each nesting season means clearing paths by machete through steep forested slopes, working in intense heat and humidity, and fending off nest flies and invasive predators. The Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk is making a powerful comeback, with 2025 marking the restart of propagation efforts on the island.
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Hana Weaver
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