Costa Rica Comeback The multi-million raptor Kèköldi Hawkwatch receives NGO status

The dedication of the counters at the newly revamped Kèköldi Costa Rica Hawkwatch is unrivaled. Each day of the fall count season, the counters trek through a narrow jungle path, lugging scopes, binoculars, and bags of raptor ID books just to reach their count tower. There, they spend hours on a wooden platform with eyes turned to the sky. Their devotion is repaid through a plethora of opportunities to witness waves of raptors migrating by the tens of thousands.

During the autumn 2022 season, counters blasted past their previous record to reach 3.36 million migrant raptors, elevating the caliber of their count to a Veracruz River of Raptors tier phenomenon. This achievement was followed by an even more exciting development as the Kèköldi Hawkwatch has now been awarded full and independent NGO status.

This monumental accomplishment represents major strides toward longterm stability for both the reinvigorated Hawkwatch site and the core count team in Kèköldi, and this new distinction enables them to directly receive donations to sustain the count site for years to come.

Sanctuary scientist Dr. JF Therrien has closely collaborated with Hawk Mountain conservation science trainee alumni Pablo Porras to cultivate a lasting community effort that has resulted in this spectacular NGO start-up success story.

Work is already being done to improve the budding Hawkwatch’s online presence with website and social media upgrades, which will further promote visitors and support. Now, looking to the future, the Kèköldi Hawkwatch has accepted the responsibility of hosting the international Raptor Research Foundation Conference in 2025, providing excellent exposure to both visitors and scientists.

Additionally, Hawk Mountain welcomed Diego Rodríguez from Costa Rica as an international Conservation Education Trainee this spring. Diego is a skilled naturalist and birding guide who has collaborated on several bird research projects, including being an official counter at the Kèköldi Hawkwatch. He will work with Sanctuary educators to gain insights on raptor education and curate methods and materials to bring back to Kèköldi.

To learn more, visit kekoldi.org or follow them at facebook.com/kekoldihw and instagram.com/kekoldihawkwatch.