GGRO Six Science Stories

A brownish Red-tailed hawk perches on green evergreen branches with a blue sky background.
Conservation
Anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) are used to control pests, but secondary exposure can affect non-target species like raptors. Researchers tested juvenile Red-tailed Hawks to learn more.
A small bird sits in the center on a branch with a white sky background and many green oak leaves and brownish twigs below.
Conservation
Data from seven fall raptor migration sites show that not only have kestrel numbers have been declining across North America, they've also been getting smaller.
A woman in a purple coat stands at the right of the photo with arm extended. A brown & cream hawk flies with wings extended on left. Background is a partly cloudy sky with the Golden Gate bridge and San Francisco Bay, and in the foreground green shrubs
Conservation
Red-tailed Hawks are common raptors in the Bay Area, yet males and females can be difficult to tell apart. Researchers used DNA and small differences in size to better understand their migration.
Close-up of a kestrel's face.
Conservation
At GGRO, we observe that female raptors typically migrate before males and juveniles typically migrate before adults. How does this compare to findings at other observation stations?
A white and brown Broad-winged Hawk soars against a blue sky.
Conservation
We don't know much about Broad-winged Hawks' migration along the Pacific Flyway, so GGRO volunteers tracked the journeys of five. Where did they go?
A brown-colored Merlin flying wings spread against a pale blue sky
Conservation
A novel technique collecting songbird DNA from migratory raptors, and using DNA barcoding to identify prey species, helps quantify raptor diet during migration and track trends through time.