Raptors, birds of prey that include hawks, owls, and falcons, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates. As top predators, raptors exert top-down control over the food chain, which means they play an important role in maintaining ecological balance by regulating prey populations such as pests and rodents. A decline in their population or their disappearance from an ecosystem can lead to cascading effects in an ecosystem. Human development and urban expansion greatly reduces raptor habitat areas and changes species relationships within local ecosystems. Drought conditions and prey scarcity additionally make raptors’ survival increasingly difficult, especially in regions of Southern California. A concentrated effort to understand more about raptors is crucial for ensuring a healthy population and maintaining ecosystem health.
The Los Angeles Raptor Study is a community science program launched by Friends of Griffith Park in 2017. The purpose of the program includes studying the urban adaptation of raptor species, developing baseline population estimates for nesting raptors, and assessing population trends – more than 800 hawk and owl territories have been located and over 700 nests are monitored across Los Angeles. However, there are still significant gaps in data when it comes to the most understudied species in the area, including several owl species, which may hinder effective conservation efforts. Our Practicum team will aim to address these gaps by focusing on understanding the distribution of breeding owl species for Barn Owls and Western Screech-Owls, as well as Great Horned Owls, within Los Angeles, and identifying key environmental factors that correlate with the suitability of habitats for these cryptic LA raptor species. It is our help this research will help guide appropriate conservation efforts and development of measures such as local guidelines for tree trimming and habitat restoration or protection of priority habitats such as oak woodland.
Student Team: Beatriz Basurto, Andrew Briones, Stephanie Choi, Karine Leclercq, Mélia Leclercq, Nikole Liang, Jocelyn Nuño, and Ahalya Sabaratnam
Client: Friends of Griffith Park
Advisors: Dr. Dan Cooper and Dr. Ryan Harrigan