Black-capped Petrel Working Group
The Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), also known as the Diablotin, is one of the Caribbean’s most fascinating seabirds, and one of its most threatened. Spending most of its life at sea, this species comes to land only to breed, nesting in burrows or crevices which they visit only in cover of darkness. Almost wiped out by overhunting and the introduction of mammalian predators, the species only persists in remote mountain areas of a few Caribbean nations. It is perhaps unsurprising that this bird has long been enigmatic and poorly-understood. Fortunately, a decade of study using techniques like radar observation, camera trapping, and satellite tracking, has revealed much about the species’ nesting sites, behaviors and threats. Importantly, this information has allowed the initiation of various conservation activities to protect the birds and their habitat. This Working Group has recently updated the conservation action plan integrating the newest information. We invite all interest parties to join us in our work to help ensure the survival of this remarkable seabird.
Working Group Contacts
Contact Co-Chair Jennifer Wheeler (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org) for more information on the group and its activities. Visit BirdsCaribbean.groups.io/g/
2021 Conservation Update and Action Plan
Conserving the Diablotin: Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Plan, 2021 (13 MB) This document reviews relevant information gathered on the species over the previous decade and lays out strategies for its conservation.
A 4-page Plan Brochure (Executive Summary) is also available.
Please contact Jennifer Wheeler (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org) or Yvan Satgé (yvan.satge@gmail.com) with your comments or questions.
Working Group Notes, Newsletters & Articles
Annual Update sent out via Groups.io, BirdsCaribbean main group and Black-capped Petrel group, December 2023.
2023 Letter submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the listing Black-capped Petrel under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Have you Seen this Bird? Outreach to Aid in the Search for the Diablotin, blog by Jennifer Wheeler, June 2023
Annual Update sent out via Groups.io, BirdsCaribbean main group and Black-capped Petrel group, August 2022.
Annual Update sent out via Groups.io, BirdsCaribbean main group and Black-capped Petrel group, June 2021.
Meeting notes from meeting at the BirdsCaribbean-AOS International Conference, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June/July 2022.
Tragedy Strikes the Endangered Black-capped Petrel Nesting Colony in the Dominican Republic, blog by Jennifer Wheeler, April 2021.
Black-capped Petrel Conservation Through Poverty Alleviation in a Haitian Community, blog by Adam Brown, November 2020.
Annual Update sent out to Yahoo Group, May 2020.
Missteps and Miracles while Pursuing the Petrel, blog by Jennifer Wheeler, February 2020.
Meeting notes from meeting at the BirdsCaribbean International Conference, Guadeloupe, July 2019.
Annual Update sent out to Yahoo Group, April 2019.
Flying with the Devil – Part II: Finger Bites and Football Matches, blog by Yvan Satge, January 2019. Flying with the Devil – Part I: On the Ridge, blog by Yvan Satge, July 2018.
2018 Letter submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the listing Black-capped Petrel under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Annual Update sent out to Yahoo Group, April 2018.
Presentation on recent five years of research, monitoring and conservation of the petrel on Hispaniola, given at the given at the BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Cuba, July 2017. Presented by Hector Andujar.
Presentation on how the conservation of the petrel is being undertaken through human poverty alleviation, given at the BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Cuba, July 2017. Presented by Anderson Jean.
Updates sent out to YahooGroups, February 2017.
Presentation on advances in science and conservation given at the North American Ornithological Conference, August 2016. Presented by Jim Goetz.
Update sent out on YahooGroups, June 2016.
Presentation on advances in science and conservation given at the World Seabird Conference, October 2015. Presented by Jennifer Wheeler.
Update sent out on YahooGroups, October 2015.
Rediscovery of Black-capped Petrels on Dominica, blog July 2015.
Overview Presentation and notes from the BirdsCaribbean (formerly Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) meeting, Kingston, July 2015. Presented by Jennifer Wheeler.
Update sent out on YahooGroups, June 2014
Update sent out on YahooGroups, January 2014
Report and Meeting notes from Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds meeting, Grenada, July 2013
Meeting notes from a December 2012 webinar focused on plans for 2013 Update sent out on YahooGroups, August 2012
Updates from Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds meeting, Freeport, July 2011
Report from Flagships for Montane Forest Conservation on Hispaniola workshop, November 2010 (Reporte en español)
Meeting notes from Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds meeting, Antigua, July 2009
Meeting notes from Hatteras meeting, North Carolina, June 2009
Species Summaries
Black-capped Petrel Species Status Assessment Report Version 1.3. May 2023. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s species status assessment to support all functions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act program, including the 2024 listing decision.
Black-capped Petrel – BirdLife International (2018 Species Factsheet at Birdlife Datazone
The monograph “Diablotin Pterodroma hasitata: a biography of the endangered Black-capped Petrel. Marine Ornithology Vol 41 (special issue ISSN 1018-3337): S3-S43 by T. Simons, D. S. Lee and J. C. Haney” is now available at no cost online at http://www.marineornithology.org.
Recent Field Investigations (Generally Unpublished)
Shown in reverse chronological order. Documents produced before 2000 are generally not presented here. Readers are encouraged to search and access published works (e.g., in journals) on-line. Open-access publication sites include BioOne, Directory of Open Access Journals and JSTOR.).
Hispaniola
Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring in La Visite National Park, Haiti: 2023 Breeding Season by Adam Brown and Anderson Jean.
BCPE Conservation and Monitoring in the Dominican Republic, 2022‐2023 by Ernst Rupp. Includes camera trapping analysis by Yvan Satgé.
Offsetting Impacts of Black-capped Petrel Collision and Grounding Hazards Along the Rio Pedernales Flyway by Grupo Jaragua, Spring 2022
Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring in La Visite National Park, Haiti: 2022 Breeding Season by Anderson Jean and Adam Brown.
BCPE Conservation and Monitoring in the Dominican Republic, 2021-2022 by Ernst Rupp. Includes camera trapping analysis by Yvan Satgé.
Results of Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring on Morne Vincent, Haiti: 2021 Breeding Season by Adam Brown and Anderson Jean
Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring in La Visite National Park, Haiti: 2021 Breeding Season by Adam Brown and Anderson Jean.
BCPE Conservation and Monitoring in the Dominican Republic, 2020‐2021 by Ernst Rupp. Includes camera trapping analysis by Yvan Satgé.
Results of Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring on Morne Vincent, Haiti: 2020 Breeding Season by Adam Brown and Anderson Jean.
Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring in La Visite National Park, Haiti: 2020 Breeding Season by Adam Brown and Anderson Jean.
Predator control and monitoring activities 2019-2020 to reverse the decline of the endangered Black-capped Petrel in Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic by Ernst Rupp. Submitted March 2021.
Black capped Petrel Conservation Through Poverty Alleviation in a Haitian Community by Adam Brown. Submitted February 2020.
Black-capped Petrel Monitoring in Parc National Naturel La Visite, Haiti: 2019 Breeding Season by Adam Brown and Anderson Jean. Submitted December 2019.
Using predictive habitat modelling to locate unknown nesting areas of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel in Hispaniola by Yvan Satgé, Ernst Rupp, and Patrick Jodice. Poster presented at the 2019 meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group.
Black-capped Petrel Nest Monitoring in Parc National La Visite, Haiti: 2018 Breeding Season by Anderson Jean, Tinio Louis, René Jeune, Lionel Raymond, and Adam Brown.
Report August 2018 – Black-capped Petrel Conservation by Ernst Rupp, summarizing Grupo Jaragua’s activities in the 2018 breeding season.
Acoustic Surveys for Black-capped Petrel Valle Nuevo, Hispaniola – 2016/17 by Abram Fleishman, 2017, Conservation Metrics, Inc.
Black-capped Petrel Conservation 2017; Interim Report #1715 C: dated August 2017 by Ernst Rupp. Includes information on the first nest found in Valle Nuevo.
Trip Report: 2017 Black-capped Petrel Technical Exchange (which occurred late April 2017). Report dated 7/19/2017 by Ernst Rupp, Hannah Nevins and Stephen Durand.
Radar Surveys, Nest Monitoring and Conservation of the Black-capped Petrel on Hispaniola: February 2017 by Adam Brown, March 2017.
Acoustic Surveys for Black-capped Petrel on Hispaniola and Dominica (2015/2016). Late 2016. Analysis of songmeter data by Conservation Metrics.
Grupo Jaragua’s 2016 Activity Reports. July 2016 and October 2016. Summaries of activities from December 2015 to October 2016.
Diablotin Conservation Expedition: Haiti 2016. March 2016. Report prepared by Adam Brown.
Acoustic monitoring of diablotin activity on Hispaniola: Final Report for 2014 Pilot Project. November 2014. Report prepared by Matthew McKown.
Black-capped Petrels project. September 2014. Interim Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Submitted by American Bird Conservancy.
Radar Surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Hispaniola: January – March 2014. Report prepared by Adam Brown.
Acoustic monitoring of diablotin activity on Hispaniola: Pilot data and potential next steps. January 2014. Report prepared by Matthew McKown.
Tracking the Devil: Radar Surveys for Black-capped Petrels. Presentation by Adam Brown, given July 2013 at the Regional Meeting of the Society for the Conservationa and Study of Caribbean Birds, Grenada. Written report by EPIC, March 2013.
Monitoring Breeding Black-capped Petrels at Morne Vincent, Haiti and Loma del Toro, Dominican Republic. Presentation by Esteban Garrido, Ernst Rupp, Adam Brown, James E. Goetz, given July 2013 at the Regional Meeting of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, Grenada. Written report by Grupo Jaragua, May 2013.
Black-capped Petrels and Communication Towers. Poster by Adam Brown, Ernst Rupp, Anderson Jean and Holly Freifeld, given July 2013 at the Regional Meeting of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, Grenada.
Plans/goals for Hispaniola field work for the coming breeding season (2013) of the Black-capped Petrel (pdf) and Images showing the landscape relevant to Black-capped Petrel conservation. Powerpoints prepared by Ernst Rupp/Esteban Garrido and James Goetz, respectively, for December 2012 webinar. See also Working Group Notes.
Summary of Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) Nesting Activity during the 2011/2012 Nesting Season at Loma del Toro and Morne Vincent, Hispaniola. 2012. Report prepared by Ernst Rupp, Esteban Garrido, and George Wallace.
A Black-capped Petrel at Haiti’s Central Bank. 2012. The happy story of a young petrel’s rescue in Port-Au-Prince. See also a timeline of events.
Toward an Improved Conservation Strategy for Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) in La Visite National Park, Haiti. 2012. Timyan, J. C, J. E. Goetz, J. C. Martinez–Sánchez (2012) Unpublished report for Canadian Wildlife Service and BirdLife International. Report focuses on recent and current development activities (and their successes or otherwise) within La Visite National Park. The focus was on Bicknell’s Thrush habitat but the results are directly relevant to BCPE.
Interim report describing field work in Hispaniola during the 2011-2012 breeding season by Jessica Hardesty, American Bird Conservancy and Ernst Rupp, Grupo Jaragua, April 2012. See also the ABC/EPIC Press Release describing use of thermal imaging readers and portable radar systems to complement traditional field work.
New discoveries of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) in Massif de la Selle, Haiti by Anderson Jean, Joel Timyan and Enold Louis-Jean, Société Audubon Haïti, describing results of a November 2011 field expedition. See also BirdLife news story on this topic.
2011:First Ever Chick Photos (Grupo Jaragua site, which links to Cornell Press Release and to YouTube video). See also the related Presentation made by Grupo Jaragua at the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds 2011 regional meeting.
Interim Report on Black-capped Petrel: Field Research on Hispaniola, 2008-2009 by Jim Goetz, Conservation Science Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 30 April 2009. Informal report on field research in Hispaniola in 2008 and 2009.
Ornithological Field Investigations In Macaya Biosphere Reserve, Haiti, 2-10 February 2006 [VINS Technical Report 06-04], Christopher C. Rimmer, Juan Klavins, John A. Gerwin, James E. Goetz, and Eladio M. Fernandez (Chap 5. from Simons et al. 2006 compendium prepared for USFWS)
Ornithological Field Investigations In La Visite National Park, Haiti, 26 January – 1 February 2005 by Christopher C. Rimmer, Esteban Garrido Gomez, and Jorge Luis Brocca, in collaboration with Société Audubon Haïti, November, 2005 (Chap 4. from Simons et al. 2006 compendium prepared for USFWS)
Conservation status of Black-capped Petrels (Pterodroma hasitata): colony surveys at Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic, January 2002 by Theodore R. Simons, Jaime Collazo, David Lee, and John Gerwin, December 2002 (Chap 3. from Simons et al. 2006 compendium prepared for USFWS)
Dominica
Searches for the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel on Dominica: Results from an expedition during February 2023 by Yvan Satgé, Jacob González-Solís and Stephen Durand
Thermal surveys for the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel on Dominica: Results from an expedition during January 2022 by Yvan Satgé and Gérard Millischer
Sound Files Data Evaluation 2023 by Conservation Metrics for (Dominica 2020 and Guadeloupe 2022-2023)
Radar Surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Dominica: Results from an expedition during January and February 2020 by Adam Brown.
Report on Diablotin Nest Search Activities in Dominica April 13th to 26th, 2016 by Ernst Rupp, Stephen Durand and George Wallace, September 12, 2016. Describes the visit of technical experts from Hispaniola to Dominica to offer training and assistance.
Press Release: EPIC finds one of the world’s most rare seabirds active on Dominica. July 28, 2015. Details released in a presentation at the 20th International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean.
On the island of Dominica, strong evidence for a breeding population was collected. Radar Surveys for the Endangered Black-capped Petrel on Dominica, West Indies. Submitted April 2015. Report by Adam Brown.
Black-capped Petrels in Dominica and Elsewhere, a narrative made up of 2010 emails clarifying sightings on or near Dominica.
Searches for Seabird Breeding Colonies in the Lesser Antilles by N. Collier, A.C. Brown, and M. Hester. 2003. El Piterre 15(3). pages 110-116
Results of Search for Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) in Dominica: Report for 2000-2001 by Brown, A.C., and N.S. Collier. 2001. EPIC report No.1. Unpublished report to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Forestry and Wildlife Division; Roseau, Dominica.
Cuba
Recent Sightings of Black-capped Petrels, by Theodore R. Simons, John Gerwin, Jaime Collazo, and Rebecca A. Hylton, 31 December 2006 (Chap 6. from Simons et al. 2006 compendium prepared for USFWS)
Report on surveys in Cuba (Las Brujas inlet and Suecia Peak), January 2006, by Freddy Rodriquez, BIOECO.
Guadeloupe
Sound Files Data Evaluation 2023 by Conservation Metrics for (Dominica 2020 and Guadeloupe 2022-2023)
Radar Surveys for Black-capped Petrel on Guadeloupe: Results from an Expedition during January 2020 by Adam Brown.
A la redécouverte du Pétrel diablotin (Pterodroma hasitata) nicheur en Guadeloupe. September 2017. Edited by Antoine Chabrolle, for AMAZONA and AEVA.
At Sea
A second letter to BOEM concerning commercial leasing for wind power development on the Central Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Submitted December 2022.
Letter to BOEM concerning commercial leasing for wind power development on the Central Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Submitted June 2022.
The Atlantic Seabird Tracking website provides background and maps for the petrel tracking project. Results are reported in the journal Endangered Species Research at this Open Access link.
Behind the Scenes: First-ever Black-capped Petrel Satellite Tracking. June 2014. American Bird Conservancy Blog.
Capturing Black‐capped Petrels at Sea: Report from the August 2012 Expeditions. Prepared by George E Wallace to document the first attempt to capture Black-capped Petrels at Sea. Image of Floating Mist-net created for the expedition.
Treatment and rehabilitation of a Black-Capped Petrel stranded in Destin, Florida . A write-up with photos of a bird treated in the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge rehabilitation center, September to November, 2011.
Black-capped Petrels in Dominica and Elsewhere, a narrative made up of 2010 emails includes references to 2010 and much older at-sea sightings in the Caribbean.
The Jamaica Petrel Pelagic Expedition. A pelagic expedition off Jamaica, and off the islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica, November-December 2009.
Recent Sightings of Black-capped Petrels, by Theodore R. Simons, John Gerwin, Jaime Collazo, and Rebecca A. Hylton, 31 December 2006 (Chap 6. from Simons et al. 2006 compendium prepared for USFWS). Contact Brian Patteson trip reports from seabird trips off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Occurrence and abundance of tubenoses Procellariiformes) at Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, 2001–2004 by Anthony Levesque and Pierre Yésou in North American Birds, Vol. 59, No. 4, 2005.
Observations of pelagic seabirds wintering at sea in the southeastern Caribbean. William L. Murphy. 2001. Pp. 104-110 in Studies in Trinidad and Tobago Ornithology Honouring Richard ffrench (F. E. Hayes and S. A. Temple, eds.). Dept. Life Sci., Univ. West Indies, St. Augustine, Occ. Pap. 11.
Related Conservation Plans
2012 Conservation Action Plan for the Black-capped Petrel (pdf). English Version, January 2012. 2012 Plan de Acción para la Conservación del Diablotín (pdf). Versión en Español. Enero 2012.
Stewardship Plan for the National Parks and Natural Areas of Haiti by Woods, Charles A.; Sergile, Florence E.; Ottenwalder, Jose Alberto. 1992. University of Florida. Florida State Museum. USAID. Mission to Haiti (Sponsor). [355 p.]. Summary in French (16,617 KB)
Final Report of the Macaya Biosphere Reserve Project by Sergile, Florence E., Woods, Charles A., Paryski, Paul E. 1992. Florida Museum of Natural History USAID. Mission to Haiti [149 p.] Summary in French (11,174 KB)
USAID’s Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) offers numerous other USAID publications for download.
Plan D’Action pour l’Environnement. Juin 1999. Ministere de l’environnment. Republique d’Haiti.
Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund for the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot: The Caribbean Islands Ecosystem Profile and the Additional Resources for Post Earthquake Environmental Support to Haiti report.
Educational Resources
“The Diablotin Festival” A 9-minute film in Kreyol (English subtitles) about an annual celebration in a Haitian community. Released February 2020.
“Travels of the Diablotin” Colorful, educational posters in Kreyol, French, Spanish and English available for download.
“Haiti, My Love, My Home” A 9-minute film in Kreyol (English subtitles) about the common needs of petrels and humans in Haiti. Released May 2018.
Release protocols for stranded petrels. Flyer in Spanish and flyer in Kreyol. Used for public outreach in petrel flyways.
How to Make a Pom Pom Petrel Chick. Instructions on crafting a lovable replica petrel chick from yarn.
The Black-capped Petrel was featured in ZiNG Magazine, LIAT Airlines in-flight magazine.