PETITION TO LIST THE
Flores Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus floris)
UNDER THE U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Photograph: © James Eaton, Birdtour Asia (used with permission)
Petition Submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Interior
Acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Petitioner:
WildEarth Guardians
1536 Wynkoop Street, Suite 301
Denver, Colorado 80202
303.573.4898
September 30, 2011
INTRODUCTION
The Flores hawk-eagle (Spizaetus floris) is endemic to Indonesia, where it lives on the islands of
Sumbawa, Flores, and Lombok, on the borders of Mount Rinjani National Park, as well as on the
islands of Santonda, Sumbawa, Rinca, and Komodo (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). Only
“an extremely small population” of Flores hawk-eagles remains and this population has declined
precipitously over the past 10 years, or three generations (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004).
The total population of Flores hawk-eagles is currently 100-200 individuals, and fewer than 100
pairs exist (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004), leading the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to upgrade the hawk-eagle to “critically endangered” on its Red
List 2009 (IUCN 2009a; IUCN 2009b). The IUCN believes the hawk-eagle is globally
threatened with extinction (IUCN 2009b). BirdLife International estimates that the hawk-eagle
population declined 50-79 percent over the past 10 years and will continue to decline an
additional 50-79 percent over the next 10 years (BirdLife International 2009a).
Major threats to the Flores hawk-eagle include habitat loss and degradation, hunting and
poaching for trade, and climate change. The monsoon forest where the hawk-eagle occurs is the
“most sensitive and vulnerable forest in the tropical forest formation” and is easily destroyed
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). Of 108 million forested hectares in Indonesia, almost half
is in poor condition (Departemen Kehutanan RI 2006). Land use changes, including forest
burning for agricultural and forestry practices, continue to degrade an estimated 2 million
hectares per year (FWI/GFW 2002). Researchers have not identified hawk-eagles living in
extremely low-density forests or partially cultivated landscape, and thus assume the hawk-eagle
is unable to survive in such environments (BirdLife International 2009a). Remaining habitat will
not sustain this species if current forest degradation activities persist.
Human hunting and poaching for trade have also reduced the hawk-eagle population
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). Human persecution is related both to the hawk-eagle’s
habit of stealing chickens and to the caged bird trade (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004,
BirdLife International 2009a). The numbers of birds hunted or captured for the bird trade are
currently unknown, as some officials in the Indonesian government “protect” and “support”
these practices (RCS 2011).
Climate change, and the resulting current and future droughts, increased rainfall, sea level rise,
and forest fires, threatens the entire range of the hawk-eagle. Deforestation, peatland
degradation, and forest fires have placed Indonesia among the top three emitters of greenhouse
gases in the world (PEACE 2007). Prolonged droughts, increased frequency of extreme weather
events, and heavy rainfall that create large floods have a devastating effect on the archipelago
(PEACE 2007). Climate change may have already adversely affected the Flores hawk-eagle.
With only an estimated 100-200 hawk-eagles remaining, the synergistic effects of climate
change and small population size make this species extremely vulnerable to extinction.
While some regulatory protections exist for this species, there is no evidence they are enforced or
effective to prevent further population declines. All raptor species were placed under the
protection of Indonesian Law (UU No 5) in 1990 (Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 1
Indonesia 1990). Although these laws protect the hawk-eagle’s habitat and prohibits take of
individuals or eggs, they are not enforced and habitat destruction and the capture and shooting of
individual hawk-eagles continues. The conservation area network in the Lesser Sundas is
insufficient to sustain the species (Sujatnika et al. 1995, cited in Butchart et al. 1996). Indonesia
has designated some protected areas within the hawk-eagle’s range and Mount Rinjani National
Park is making some effort to inform local residents of the importance of the hawk-eagle
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). However, these efforts are unlikely to ensure the hawk-
eagle’s long-term survival as some government officials “protect” activities such as hunting and
illegal trade of the hawk-eagle (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004, RCS 2011).
THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) protects plants and animals that are listed by the
federal government as “endangered” or “threatened” (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.). Any interested
person may submit a written petition to the Secretary of the Interior requesting him to list a
species as “endangered” or “threatened” under the ESA (50 C.F.R. § 424.14(a)). An “endangered
species” is “any species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of
its range” (16 U.S.C. § 1532(6)). A “threatened species” is defined as “any species which is
likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a
significant portion of its range” (16 U.S.C § 1532(20)). “Species” includes subspecies and
distinct population segments of sensitive taxa (16 U.S.C § 1532(16)).
The ESA sets forth listing factors under which a species can qualify for protection (16 U.S.C. §
1533(a)(1)):
A. The present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or
range;
B. Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes;
C. Disease or predation;
D. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence.
A taxon need only meet one of the listing criteria outlined in the ESA to qualify for federal
listing.
CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE
Common name. The common name for Spizaetus floris (Hartert 1898) is “Flores hawk-eagle.”
The species is also known as the “Sunda hawk-eagle” (Hull 2007). This petition refers to the
species as the “Flores hawk-eagle” or “hawk-eagle.”
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 2
Taxonomy. The taxonomic classification for Spizaetus floris is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Taxonomy of Spizaetus floris.
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae
Genus Spizaetus
Species Spizaetus floris
The Flores hawk-eagle was once regarded as a subspecies of Nisaetus cirrhatus until studies by
Gjershaug et al. (2004) showed that Spizaetus (Nisaetus) floris is a separate species.
Raharjaningtrah and Rahman (2004) stated that, as a distinct species, the Flores hawk-eagle is
probably “the most threatened raptor in the world.”
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
The Flores hawk-eagle’s upper body is dark brown while its underside, including the underside
of its wings, is white (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). The hawk-eagle’s head is white in
adults and juveniles, “sometimes with fine brownish streaks on the crown (Gjershaug et al.
2004). The tail is brown “with six dark bars, the outermost broader than the others” (Gjershaug et
al. 2004) (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Flores hawk-eagle.
Photograph © Pierre de Chabannes, Photozoo.org (used with permission).
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 3
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
The Flores hawk-eagle occurs in Indonesia, where it lives on the islands of Sumbawa (where few
records exist), Flores (where it appears to be uncommon), Santonda, and Rinca (Raharjaningtrah
and Rahman 2004; Meyers and Bishop 2005; BirdLife International 2009a) (see Figure 2).
Records from Poloe and Komodo have not been verified (BirdLife International 2009a). The
hawk-eagle also resides on Lombok, where the species was first recorded in 2002 by Gjershaug
and colleagues (2004):
On Lombok, we observed floris in Sesaot at the border of Mount Rinjani National Park
on 18 September 2002. This is the first record from Lombok. The bird was identified by
its white head and underside together with its diagnostic white patch on the upperside of
the outer primaries, which distinguish it from immature limnaeetus. Later we observed
the species at three other locations on the border of Mount Rinjani National Park (Senaru,
Pidana and Pusuk). These observations are of particular importance since Lombok is just
east of Bali, the easternmost extent of the distribution of limnaeetus.
Figure 2. Range of the Flores hawk-eagle. (BirdLife International 2009a)
The hawk-eagle is distributed evenly across all portions of the islands, however, “they were not
contacted at several observation points in between” (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). They
were found from Mount Rinjani National Park on Lombok Island to Mount Egon Illimudu
Protection Forest at Larantuka, Flores (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004).
HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
The Flores hawk-eagle lives in forested areas, particularly in lowland habitat, which makes it an
indicator of lowland forest condition (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). It was seen in
submontane and montane forests at the Ruteng area on Flores Island at altitudes of up to 1,600
meters (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). While researchers have occasionally noted a hawk-
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 4
eagle in cultivated areas, the birds are always near forested areas (BirdLife International 2009a;
BirdLife International 2009b). However, these occasional flights outside of core habitat indicate
that the hawk-eagle may be capable of travel between islands (BirdLife International 2009b).
Accordingly, subpopulations on various Indonesian islands may be mixed (IUCN 2009a).
Sumbawa and East Flores are “widespread grasslands and scrub with a low tree density…and
most of the forest [is] semi-deciduous monsoon forest” (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004).
Generations of local people have burned the forest for hunting and shifting cultivation
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). Population growth and the rise of commercial agriculture
and forestry have exacerbated the destruction of forested areas, leading to the hawk-eagle’s
decline (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004).
On many Indonesian islands, “forested habitat is restricted to areas designated as national parks”
(Simay et al. 2009). This is generally true for the Lesser Sundas, as “only tiny forests confined to
protected areas which are not always well managed have survived” (Simay et al. 2009) and
“protected areas in the species’ range are presently too small for its long-term survival”
(Gjershaug et al. 2004). In Flores some high quality forested areas are found outside national
park areas (Simay et al. 2009). However, with the current rate of habitat degradation and
deforestation outside of park boundaries, habitat quality for the hawk-eagle is disappearing.
LIFE HISTORY
Little is known about the life history of many Indonesian species as there is a paucity of data
between the early 1900s and 1990s (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004).
Diet. The diet of the Flores hawk-eagle consists primarily of birds, lizards, snakes and mammals
(BirdLife International 2009a).
Reproduction and dispersal. The Flores hawk-eagle typically breeds during the dry season, or
June through September (BirdLife International 2009a). Display flight and copulation have been
observed on Flores in June and July (BirdLife International 2009a). The hawk-eagle requires a
territory of 40 km2 per pair and is dispersed over a range of 10,000 km2 (BirdLife International
2009b). This species has been observed over cultivated fields, but always stays close to forested
areas, and “these records may relate to dispersing, immature or floater individuals rather than
breeding adults” (BirdLife International 2009a). In addition, records of birds outside of core
habitat suggest the species may be able to disperse between islands and mixing between island
subpopulations is inferred (IUCN 2009a).
POPULATION STATUS AND TRENDS
The hawk-eagle has “an extremely small population” that has continued to rapidly decline over
three generations, or the past 10 years (BirdLife International 2009a). This decline is primarily
due to habitat loss (BirdLife International 2009a; BirdLife International 2009b). The total
population of Flores hawk-eagles is currently 100-200, fewer than 100 pairs, and fewer than 200
mature individuals (BirdLife International 2009a) leading the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to designate the species as “critically endangered” on its Red
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 5
List, an upgrade from its “endangered” listing in 2005 (IUCN 2009a). BirdLife International
estimates that the hawk-eagle population declined between 50-79 percent over the past 10 years
and will continue to decline an additional 50-79 percent over the next 10 years (BirdLife
International 2009b). Although concrete population estimates are not available for the species,
the paucity of records obtained during fieldwork within its range suggests it occurs at low
densities, supporting this population estimate and rates of decline (IUCN 2009a).
IDENTIFIED THREATS TO THE PETITIONED SPECIES: CRITERIA FOR LISTING
The Flores hawk-eagle meets at least four of the criteria for listing under ESA Section 4 (16
U.S.C. § 1533(a)(1)) (in bold). It needs to meet only one of these criteria to qualify for federal
listing:
A. Present and threatened destruction, modification, and curtailment of habitat and
range;
B. Overutilization for commercial and recreational purposes;
C. Disease or predation;
D. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; and
E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence.
(Factor A) Present and Threatened Destruction, Modification, and Curtailment of Habitat and
Range
Habitat loss and degradation are the greatest threats to the Flores hawk-eagle. BirdLife
International (2009a, 2009b) characterizes the fragmentation of their range as “severe.” Out of
108 million forested hectares in Indonesia, almost half is in poor condition (Departemen
Kehutanan RI 2006). Land use changes, including deforestation, continue to degrade an
estimated 2 million hectares per year (FWI/GFW 2002). This trend increased as the human
population increased and with the advent of commercial agriculture and forestry
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004, citing Monk et al. 1997).
The Lesser Sunda Islands are primarily comprised of grassland and scrub habitat (62 percent
land coverage; Monk et al. 1997) with low tree density. Most of the forests are semi-deciduous
monsoon forest (lowland rainforest 19 percent, submontane forest 5.5 percent; Monk et al. 1997;
Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004, citing Coates et al. 1997). The monsoon forest is the “most
sensitive and vulnerable forest in the tropical forest formation” and is easily destroyed
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). The natural monsoon forests on these islands have shifted
to savanna grasslands as a result of human burning and cultivation, especially on the islands of
Sumbawa and Flores (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). By 1995, only 18 percent of the
Lesser Sundas was forested and the human population had reached 7.39 million people with a
growth rate of 2.3 percent per year (Butchart et al. 1996, citing Sujatnika et al. 1995). In
Lombok, the human population was estimated at 4.3 million people in 2005, a 500 percent
increase from the mid-1800s (Meyers and Bishop 2005). We are unaware of the current rate of
habitat loss on the Lesser Sundas, however in 1997 only 24.5 percent of the land was considered
suitable hawk-eagle habitat, and forest burning for agriculture and forestry has continued to
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 6
affect remaining habitat. The same practices also occur on Java and Bali (Raharjaningtrah and
Rahman 2004), which might otherwise offer suitable habitat for the hawk-eagle.
Compounding these problems, forest clearing and burning is usually done in the dry season when
the hawk-eagle is breeding and more susceptible to human disturbance (Butchart et al. 1996;
BirdLife International 2009a). Researchers have not identified hawk-eagles living in extremely
low-density forests or partially cultivated landscape, and thus assume the hawk-eagle is unable to
survive in such environments (BirdLife International 2009a).
(Factor B) Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or Educational
Purposes
Human hunting and poaching for trade have reduced the hawk-eagle population (Raharjaningtrah
and Rahman 2004). Human persecution is related both to the hawk-eagle’s habit of stealing
chickens and to the caged bird trade (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004; BirdLife International
2009a):
People hunted birds including raptors for local trade…they also shipped it to Bali. Two
stuffed birds were also sold in Ruteng. We found [a Flores hawk-eagle] wing hanging on
the house wall in Melo village, it was captured and killed 2 weeks before we arrived
because they found it hunting for chicken. The Flores [hawk-eagle] was also found at
Lombok local bird market for sale, according to the seller, the [hawk-eagle] origin was
from Sumbawa.
Hunting is not usually conducted by local people: others from Java and Bali come to hunt the
hawk-eagle and capture them for the caged bird trade (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004). The
number of birds hunted or captured for the bird trade is currently unknown, as some officials in
the Indonesian government “protect” and “support” these practices (RCS 2011).
(Factor D) Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms
All raptor species were placed under the protection of Indonesian Law (UU No 5) in 1990
(Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia 1990). Although these laws protect the hawk-
eagle’s habitat and prohibit take of individuals or eggs, they are not enforced, and habitat
destruction, capture and shooting of individual hawk-eagles continues.
The conservation area network in the Lesser Sundas is insufficient to sustain the Flores hawk-
eagle (Butchart et al. 1996, cited in Sujatnika et al. 2005). Indonesia contains some protected
areas within the hawk-eagle’s range and Mount Rinjani National Park is making some effort to
inform local people of the importance of the hawk-eagle (Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004).
However, these efforts are insufficient to ensure the hawk-eagle’s long-term survival as some
government officials “protect” activities such as hunting and illegal trade of the hawk-eagle
(Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004, RCS 2011).
The UNDP/FAO National Conservation Plan for Indonesia identified five areas of conservation
potential on Lombok, including Mount Rinjani National Park (UNDP/FAO 1982, cited in
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 7
Meyers and Bishop 2005). The plan also proposed a 150 km2 wildlife sanctuary covering Batu
Gendang on the southwestern peninsula of Lombok to protect extensive lowland forest and cliffs
where seabirds breed. Monk et al. (1997, cited in Raharjaningtrah and Rahman 2004) noted that
this was one of the few remaining areas of primary lowland forest in Nusa Tenggara Barat, and
RePPProt (1989, cited in Meyers and Bishop 2005) identified it as a priority conservation area.
Meyers and Bishop (2005) stated that “[c]learly, this one national park on Lombok is of
paramount importance for conservation of the island’s birds. However, many of the species of
conservation priority are reliant to various extents on habitat that lies outside the national park,
and this requires protection too.” This is true for the Flores hawk-eagle, as was confirmed by a
study conducted by the Raptor Conservation Society (2011) (see Figure 3), in which preliminary
surveys identified the hawk-eagle in production forests (Senaru and Santong Points) and nature
reserves (Sembalung, Aikmel, Sesoat, and Pusuk Points), in addition to Mount Rinjani National
Park (Stiling Point; RCS 2011).
There appear to be no areas that adequately protect forest bird species of conservation
importance on Flores and Sumbawa (Butchart et al. 1996). Taman Nasional Komodo, an 1,817
square kilometer park located between the two islands, is the only protected park in the area and
it does not contain suitable habitat for most forest bird species, including the Flores hawk-eagle
(Butchart et al. 1996).
Figure 3. Protected Areas on Lombok Island. (RCS 2011)
(Factor E) Other Natural or Manmade Factors
Small Population Size. With such as small population, the Flores hawk-eagles may be
particularly vulnerable to stochastic events (such as fire, storms, floods, etc.) could destroy their
remaining habitat, causing local extirpation and ultimately extinction. In addition, climate change
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 8
will likely increase the chances of stochastic events, making suitable habitat even more
vulnerable to destruction. “Population size matters; small populations are more likely to go
extinct as a result of chance effects (known as the small population paradigm)” (Brook et al.
2008). FWS has often recognized small population size as a threat to species’ persistence.1
Climate Change. The entire range of the hawk-eagle is threatened by current and future drought,
increased rainfall, sea level rise, and forest fires driven by climate change. As noted by the
Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia (2010), the first climate-related hazards
began occurring in the early 1950s, and have exponentially increased in the decades that
followed (see Figure 4). Deforestation, degradation of peatland, and forest fires have placed
Indonesia among the top three emitters of greenhouse gases in the world (PEACE 2007).
Prolonged droughts, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and heavy rainfall have
resulted in large floods that have had devastating effects on the archipelago (PEACE 2007).
Since 1990, the annual mean temperature in Indonesia has increased by 0.20 – 0.30˚C in all
seasons of the year (Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia 2010, citing Naylor et
al. 2007). In 2020, it is projected the mean temperature will increase between 0.37 and 0.46 ˚C as
compared to 2000 (PEACE 2007). Climate change is predicted to increase the rate of
precipitation by 2-3 percent per year (PEACE 2007, citing Susandi 2007). The increase in
rainfall is expected to shorten the rainy season, which will increase the risk of flooding (PEACE
2007). Sea level rise is predicted to increase up to 0.57 cm per year due to climate change
(PEACE 2007), totaling perhaps 25 to 50 cm by 2050 and 2100, respectively (Ministry of
Environment of the Republic on Indonesia 2010). Rising sea levels could impact remaining
coastline hawk-eagle habitat and the hawk-eagles’ prey base. More frequent forest fires resulting
from climate-change-induced drought will have significant impacts on forest wildlife and
biodiversity in the coming century (WWF 2008, citing Applegate et al. 2002). Climate change
may have already adversely affected the Flores hawk-eagle.
1
See, for examples, candidate assessment forms for Porzana tabuensis (spotless crake, April 2010), Eumops
floridanus (Florida bonneted bat, March 2010), Vagrans egistina (Mariana wandering butterfly, April 2010),
Gallicolumba stairi (friendly ground-dove, March 2010), Eremophila alpestris strigata (streaked horned lark, April
2010), and Hyla wrightorum (Arizona treefrog, April 2010) (Available at
http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/pub/SpeciesReport.do?listingType=C&mapstatus=1).
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 9
Figure 4. Number of climate-related hazards by type (left) and by year (right). Based on data from OFDA/CRED
International Disaster Database as presented in Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia (2010).
Synergistic Effects. Any or all of the aforementioned threats could work synergistically to cause
the extinction of the hawk-eagle. “Like interactions within species assemblages, synergies
among stressors form self-reinforcing mechanisms that hasten the dynamics of extinction.
Ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation are the primary drivers of contemporary
extinctions, particularly in the tropical realm, but synergistic interactions with hunting, fire,
invasive species and climate change are being revealed with increasing frequency” (Brook et al.
2008).
The combined effects of threats of habitat loss, human persecution, and climate change on the
hawk-eagle could cause a greater reduction in the hawk-eagle population than would be expected
from simply the additive impacts of the threats. “[H]abitat loss can cause some extinctions
directly by removing all individuals over a short period of time, but it can also be indirectly
responsible for lagged extinctions by facilitating invasions, improving hunter access, eliminating
prey, altering biophysical conditions and increasing inbreeding depression. Together, these
interacting and self-reinforcing systematic and stochastic processes play a dominant role in
driving the dynamics of population trajectories as extinction is approached” (Brook et al. 2008).
The hawk-eagle is already at risk due to its small population and is especially vulnerable to the
synergistic impacts of other threats. “Traits such as ecological specialization and low population
density act synergistically to elevate extinction risk above that expected from their additive
contributions, because rarity itself imparts higher risk and specialization reduces the capacity of a
species to adapt to habitat loss by shifting range or changing diet. Similarly, interactions between
environmental factors and intrinsic characteristics make large-bodied, long-generation and low-
fecundity species particularly predisposed to anthropogenic threats given their lower replacement
rates” (Brook et al. 2008).
[O]nly by treating extinction as a synergistic process will predictions of risk for most
species approximate reality, and conservation efforts therefore be effective. However
challenging it is, policy to mitigate biodiversity loss must accept the need to manage
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 10
multiple threatening processes simultaneously over longer terms. Habitat preservation,
restoring degraded landscapes, maintaining or creating connectivity, avoiding
overharvest, reducing fire risk and cutting carbon emissions have to be planned in unison.
Otherwise, conservation actions which only tackle individual threats risk becoming half-
measures which end in failure, due to uncontrolled cascading effects.
(Brook et al. 2008).
IMPORTANCE OF LISTING
On November 3, 2009, the FWS proposed to list the Indonesian salmon-crested cockatoo as
“threatened” under the ESA (FWS 2009). In its news release, FWS stated that adding the
cockatoo, a foreign species, to the list of threatened and endangered species would serve the
purpose of 1) restricting imports of the animal or its parts, and 2) raising awareness of “the
importance of conserving the species among foreign governments, conservation organizations
and the public” (FWS 2009). These purposes also apply to the Flores hawk-eagle. Like the
cockatoo, the Flores hawk-eagle lives only in Indonesia, in biodiverse areas that are “priority
areas for global conservation” (FWS 2009).
The FWS should be even more concerned about the Flores hawk-eagle than the cockatoo. Both
of these birds are unique species often targeted for their beauty (BirdLife International 2009c).
However, while an estimated 62,000 salmon-crested cockatoos remain in Indonesia, fewer than
200 Flores hawk-eagles remain there. Further, while the IUCN places the cockatoo in the
“vulnerable” category of its Red List, the Flores hawk-eagle is ranked as “critically endangered,”
one level away from extinction (BirdLife International 2009c).
CONCLUSION AND REQUESTED DESIGNATION
WildEarth Guardians petitions the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Flores hawk-eagle
(Spizaetus floris) as an “endangered” or “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act.
This action is warranted given the numerous threats this species faces, as well as the small
number of individuals left in the wild. Multiple organizations have recognized this species is in
danger of extinction. As the number of breeding pairs decline, habitat is lost, and the effects of
climate change increase, it is important that FWS list the Flores hawk-eagle under the ESA as
soon as possible.
REFERENCES
BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2009a. Flores hawk-eagle Spizaetus floris Species Factsheet,
available at
http://www.BirdLife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=
31547&m=0.
BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2009b. Flores hawk-eagle Spizaetus floris Species Factsheet:
Additional Information, available at
Petition to list the Flores Hawk-eagle under the Endangered Species Act 11
http://www.BirdLife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=
31547&m=1.
BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2009c. Salmon-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua moluccensis Factsheet,
available at
http://www.BirdLife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1401&
m=0.
BROOK, B. W., N. S., SODHI, AND C. J. A. BRADSHAW. 2008. Synergies Among Extinction Drivers
Under Global Change. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 23:453 – 460.
BUTCHART, S. H. M., T. M. BROOKS, C. W. N. DAVIES, G. DHARMAPUTRA, G. C. L. DUTSON, J. C.
LOWEN, AND A. SAHU. 1996. The conservation status of forest birds on Flores and Sumbawa,
Indonesia. Bird Conservation International 6:335–370.
DEPARTEMEN KEHUTANAN RI. 2007. Kementarian Kehutanan Republik Indonesia: The Ministry
of Forestry Republic, available at www.dephut.go.id.
EAGLE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE. 2008. Booted and Serpent Eagles – Threats and Conservation,
available at http://eagleconservationalliance.org/discussions/hawk-and-serpent-eagles/booted-
and-serpent-eagles-threats-and-conservation/.
FOREST WATCH INDONESIA AND GLOBAL FOREST WATCH (FWI/GFW). 2002. The State of the
Forest: Indonesia. World Resources Institute Report, Bogor, Indonesia.
GJERSHAUG, J. O. 2006.Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Hawk-Eagles (genus Nisaetus) in
South-East Asia. Doctoral Thesis. Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim, Norway.
GJERSHAUG, J. O., K., KVALØY, N., RØV, D. M., PWARIRADILAGA, U., SUPARMAN, and Z.
RAHMAN. 2004. The Taxonomic Status of Flores Hawk Eagle Spizaetus Floris. Forktail 20:55 –
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