RESULTS OF DIURNAL RAPTOR BANDING

Northern Harrier

A total of 35 Northern harriers (NOHA) were banded in 2025, which was more than the 27 birds banded in 2024.

Accipiter/Astur

In 2024, based on a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the family Accipitridae, the genus Accipiter was divided into six genera and the genus Astur, which had been previously introduced, was resurrected to accommodate nine species that had previously been placed in Accipiter. Resultant of these changes the American goshawk is now Astur atricapillus, the Cooper’s hawk is now Astur cooperii, and the Sharp-shinned hawk is still Accipiter striatus. A total of 219 birds from these genera were banded in 2025. Cooper’s hawk (COHA) remained the dominant species with 722 captures and Sharp-shinned hawk (SSHA) with a total of 192. There were no American goshawks (AGOS) captured in 2025. Combined this group made up approximately 85 percent of the season’s banding total, with COHA making up approximately 67 percent of the total. 

Buteos

77 buteos were banded. Red-tailed hawk (RTHA) remained the dominant species with 64 captures. Red-shouldered hawk (RSHA) accounted for 12 captures, and one Swainson’s hawk (SWHA) was captured and transmittered. No Broad-winged hawks or Rough-legged hawks were captured.   

Falcons

51 falcons were banded – 6 American kestrels (AMKE), 31 Merlins (MERL), and 14 Peregrines (PEFA). Both AMKE and PEFA numbers matched those of the 2024 season. MERL numbers were significantly lower in 2025 presumably due to the project not being operational during late September when their flights traditionally peak.  

Eagles

One Bald eagle (BAEA) was captured in 2025. 

RECAPTURES AND ENCOUNTERS OF CAPE MAY BANDED RAPTORS

A Recapture is a raptor caught by the CMRBP that is already banded. These birds are further defined by one of three categories: Foreign Recovery, Return, and Retrap. A Foreign Recovery is a raptor not originally banded by CMRBP, regardless of the year or location it was banded; a Return is a raptor that was originally banded by CMRBP and was caught again by CMRBP during a subsequent banding season; and a Retrap is a raptor that was originally banded by CMRBP and is caught again by CMRBP during the same banding season. 

Recaptures

There were 33 Recaptures, 11 fewer than 2024. There were 3 Foreign Recoveries, 1 Return, and 29 Retraps. The tenyear averages are 72.3 Recaptures (high of 117 in 2016), 5.4 Foreign Recoveries (high of 15 in 2018), 1.7 Returns (high of 3 in 2014, and 2016), and 65.2 Retraps (high of 110 in 2016). Perhaps a look at the five-year averages will provide a clearer perspective. 2019 was the last year we operated four stations, with the Mag Station closing after that season. The five-year averages are 45.4 Recaptures; 4.0 Foreign Recoveries, 1.4 Returns, 40.0 Retraps. NOTE: The 2020 banding season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and is hence omitted from averaging. Most of the Retraps were within a couple of days if not the day of original capture, but there was a HY-M COHA separated by 20 days and a HY-U RTHA separated by 13 days. Perhaps the most interesting Retrap was a HY-U SWHA captured on October 29, banded and affixed a transmitter, and recaptured on October 31. The Return was a F-COHA banded as a HY on October 27, 2024, and recaptured almost a year to the day on October 26. The bird had gained an impressive 81g since original capture. One Foreign Recovery was a HY-U RTHA banded on August 29, 2025, near Pittsburg, NH and recaptured on October 16.  Another was a HY-M COHA banded October 19, 2025, by New Jersey Audubon at the South Cape Meadows (Songbird Banding Project) and recaptured on October 21. The other Foreign Recovery was a HY-M SSHA that the BBL had not received banding data for by the time of publication of this report. 

Encounters

In 2025, 39 birds that were originally banded by CMRBP were reported as encountered by others. Four species were represented in these encounters, with Cooper’s hawks, as usual, being by far the most common, accounting for about 59% of the total.  Red-tailed hawks were second at about 31%, with two Sharp-shinned hawks and one each Northern harrier and Peregrine comprising the remainder. See the Species Encounters by Year table for additional details on species numbers. Note that one of the Cooper’s hawks was encountered in 2023 but not reported until last year and therefore has been added to the 2023 encounters. The 38 encounters from 2025 are about the same number as most recent years, substantially below the project’s long-term average of about 70 birds per year from 1980 to 2020.  This recent decrease is due partly to the smaller number of birds banded over the last few years because of the closure of Mag Station. However, the drop in birds banded in recent years has been less steep than the drop in encounters. Clearly, other factors must be at work, although it is not obvious what they might be. About 46% of 2025 encounters were banded in the same year or the previous year, fewer than is typical. About 23% were banded two years earlier in 2023. Cape May Raptor Banding Project, Inc. 2025 Annual Report Page 3 of 3 Sixteen of the 2025 encounters (about 41%) were from New Jersey, a somewhat smaller percentage than usual.  No other state had more than five encounters. The remaining encounters occurred in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.  About 15% of the encounters occurred at latitudes south of the Cape May Peninsula, 23% on the peninsula, and 61% at latitudes north of the peninsula. Approximately 77% of the birds encountered were found dead, most often from vehicle strikes when cause of death could be determined; this number is significantly less than prior years.  Eight encounters, about 21%, were of birds found alive, a much higher number than usual, and one bird’s status is unknown.  Of the live birds, three Cooper’s hawks were found injured and taken to rehab facilities, two others were released from a building and a trap, and a free-flying Red-tailed hawk was identified by band number in the field.  Finally, a Cooper’s hawk was the only bird caught by another banding operation.  Banded at Cape May in 2024, it was captured twice during the summer and early fall of 2025 in Portland, Maine; presumably it was breeding in this area. As is often the case, the oldest live bird encountered in 2025 was a Red-tailed hawk banded in 2002 as an HY.  It was the bird mentioned above that was identified by band number.  Another HY Red-tailed hawk, banded in 1999, was found dead; there was no information on the condition of the carcass, so it’s date of death is uncertain.   Two encounters deserve special mention.  An SY Red-tailed hawk transmittered in November of 2024 was found dead just a few months later in Virginia, an unfortunately quick demise of a valuable transmittered bird. The bird was found in a residential setting with no obvious indication of the cause of death.  Another Red-tailed hawk, banded in 2024, was encountered in early 2025 at the NASA Wallops Island facility in Virginia and was “depredated” as part of a bird strike mitigation program. 

 BANDING DEMONSTRATIONS

Regularly scheduled public banding demonstrations were given at the Cape May Point State Park on Saturdays and Sundays and at The Nature Conservancy’s South Meadows on Saturdays throughout the month of October. Banding demonstrations were also provided for private groups.