Another research project close to Mike’s heart is the Ridgway’s Hawk, which only occurs on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, and is one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world with only a population of 250-300 remaining. In 2015 Mike and his wife, Christine, traveled to the Dominican Republic, on the east side of the island, to meet with the researchers from the Ridgway’s Project, funded by the Peregrine Fund (Mike donated $1000 to The Peregrine Fund). Mike learned about the dangers facing the Ridgway’s Hawk and possible solutions to solving the problem.

While research and conservation efforts are established in the Dominican Republic, research has not been launched on the west side of the island in the country of Haiti, which is birthplace of Mike and John James Audubon. Mike is planning an expedition to Haiti where he hopes to use his knowledge of the country, family connections and language skills to possibly locate Ridgway’s Hawks, thereby increasing the genetic pool for rebuilding the population.