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Black-Capped Petrel Conservation Program

Flagship Program Overview

Considered among the most endangered seabirds in the Caribbean region, the Black-capped Petrel seabird population is estimated at only 2,000 nesting pairs. Spending most of their lives at sea, they return to land to nest on only one known island, which is Hispaniola. They fly in at night, making an eerie sound that earned them the local nickname Diablotin, or Little Devil. These small black and white seabirds lay a single egg in a rocky crevice high in the mountains and they are incredibly vulnerable. Threatened by habitat destruction and hunting by introduced predators such as cats, rats and mongooses, the fate of the petrel is uncertain. If not for the significant efforts of EPIC’s team, the Haitian and Dominican people, and our partners from around the world, this beautiful and unique bird may join the list of extinct species.

EPIC’s Black-capped Petrel conservation journey started in 2012 when they joined an expedition to find petrel flyways and nest sites on Hispaniola. When a collaborating team of scientists located petrel nesting sites in Haiti, EPIC worked alongside them to find ways to conserve the nesting colony. Near the nesting sites, the scientists observed people living nearby. These human communities were fighting to feed their families and survive, much like the Petrel. The team immediately recognized that the only way to protect the Petrel was to improve the lives of the people, and an innovative conservation strategy was launched. EPIC built a coalition of conservation groups who continue to work hard to promote community actions led by Haitians including scientific research and monitoring, education for adults, children and the community, advocacy about Petrel protections, and sustainable stewardship farming.

This comprehensive conservation strategy ensures long-term sustainability for the people of Haiti while helping to bring the endangered Black-capped Petrel back from the brink of extinction.

Projects in this Flagship Program

Black-Capped Petrel International Working Group

The Black-capped Petrel Working Group is a team of conservationists, researchers, and educators whose mission is to conserve the endangered Black-capped Petrel.
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Black-Capped Petrel Radar Surveys in the Dominican Republic

Radar surveys in 2012-2017 conducted by EPIC within the Dominican Republic mountain ranges, successfully located previously unrecorded flight corridors and nesting areas.
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Community Celebration of Nature in Haiti

EPIC is passionate about the unique success realized through celebration and storytelling efforts of the Haitian communities involved in Black-capped Petrel conservation.
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Expedition to Find the Endangered Black-Capped Petrel Seabird in Dominica

There’s strong evidence that the Black-capped Petrel seabird is nesting high on the volcanic peaks of Dominica in the Caribbean. Yet, the exact location is not yet known.
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Expedition to Find the Endangered Black-Capped Petrel Seabird in Guadeloupe

In 2020, EPIC partnered to conduct an expedition using radar and night vision scopes to look for Black-capped Petrels known locally in Guadeloupe as “Diable.”
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Expedition to Find the Endangered Black-Capped Petrel Seabird in Jamaica

In 2016, EPIC used marine radar to search for Black-capped Petrel activity in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.
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Prevention of Tower Collisions by Petrels

A threat to Black-capped Petrels, as with other seabirds that travel overland nocturnally, is mortality from strikes and groundings associated with artificial light.
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Scientific Research on Black-Capped Petrels in Haiti

EPIC’s research priorities are to track the population status of this endangered species, identify threats, and implement conservation actions to minimize those threats.
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Storytelling through Films in Haiti

Storytelling and film have proven to be a powerful conservation strategy.
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Sustainability Education for Youth in Haiti

School children in the village of Boukan Chat, Haiti experience science and nature education focused on the ecology and biodiversity of their watershed.
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Sustainable Farming in Haiti

EPIC and partners work to provide tools, resources, and training for Haitian farmers to grow sustainable crops to feed their community and provide ongoing income.
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