The discovery of breeding Red-throated Caracaras in northeastern Honduras may give conservationists just enough time to explore the reasons for the raptor's demise in the region and help rescue it.
Mark Bonta and his team needed local connections to find the Red-throated Caracara nest because the search area in Honduras is large -- about the size of the nation of El Salvador, or the size of several counties in Pennsylvania -- and thickly forested.
Elvin Manguia, one of the team members who helped locate the nest of Caracaras, leans against an oak tree during the search. The Peregrine Fund sponsored the search.
Mark Bonta, assistant professor of earth science, Penn State Altoona, said that the discovery of the Red-throated Caracara is one step in his 20-year journey to help solve "one of the enduring mysteries" of the bird's rapid population decline in the region.
The Red-throated Caracara mysteriously disappeared from most of Central America and Mexico about 30 years ago. A team led by a Penn State Altoona researcher recently discovered a nest of the rare raptor.
The Red-throated Caracara is raptor with some unique characteristics. It has a distinct, raucous call and feeds mainly on wasp larvae.
Penn State Altoona researcher Mark Bonta said the team that discovered the Red-throated Caracara in Honduras to "community conservation" -- a philosophy that stresses grassroots activism and connections with local residents and leaders.