From Arctic Cliffs to Global Change: Michael Henderson’s Quest to Save Polar Raptors

In this episode of Talons of Hope, we travel to the windswept tundras of Alaska to explore the frontline of polar raptor conservation. Host Munir Virani, of the Mohamed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund (MBZRCF), speaks with Michael Henderson—field biologist with The Peregrine Fund and PhD candidate at Boise State University—whose groundbreaking research on Gyrfalcons, the Arctic’s apex raptors, is offering urgent insights into a rapidly changing world.

Why should you tune in?
 Because polar raptors like the Gyrfalcon are telling us stories about the fate of the Arctic—and of our planet itself.

The Gyrfalcon is an iconic predator of the far north. But as climate change disrupts prey populations, introduces new disease threats, and reshapes Arctic ecosystems, these magnificent birds face an uncertain future. Michael’s mission is to understand how they are adapting—and what we can do to help.

Michael shares his remarkable journey from a career in construction to scaling cliffs in pursuit of raptor science. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How stable isotope analysis and nest cameras reveal shifting diets
• Why Willow Ptarmigan and Arctic ground squirrels are so critical to Gyrfalcons—and what happens as their ranges change
• The rise of pathogens and parasites in a warming Arctic
• What it’s really like to study falcons in Alaska’s remote wilderness
• How MBZRCF’s global partnerships are connecting polar raptor research from the Arctic to Patagonia

This work is part of a bold initiative supported by MBZRCF to advance understanding and conservation of polar raptors in an era of unprecedented ecological change.

As the host notes, this is more than a story about falcons—it is a story about how the Arctic itself is changing, and how raptors can serve as sentinels of planetary health.

If you care about:

• How climate change impacts top predators
• What it takes to do science in the world’s harshest environments
• The power of unlikely journeys and global collaborations
• Why protecting raptors is about protecting us all

...then this is an episode you won’t want to miss.