A popular “sport” in the early 20th century included lining up along understood raptor migration paths and blasting the birds as they passed overhead. The very first step in safeguarding raptors involved informing individuals about the concern.
Today Hawk Mountain is a must-visit hotspot for many birders and naturalists to witness the annual raptor migration.
The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in California and Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Minnesota use magnificent viewing (and outstanding educational programs).
Keep an eye out for an accipiter migration near you. © Todd Bannor/TNC Photo Contest 2019
Raptor Migration
Theyll be scratching around the yard when all of a sudden, an appearing rocket drops from a nearby tree, resulting in a surge of quail plumes. Coopers and sharp-shinned hawks migrate through this location, on the edge of the Boise Foothills in southwestern Idaho.
Throughout North America, the fall raptor migration is underway. Numerous hawks and other birds of prey follow ridges, enabling birders to see hundreds if not countless birds.
The most famous of these is Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, a ridge with its own fascinating conservation history.
A popular “sport” in the early 20th century involved lining up along known raptor migration routes and blasting the birds as they passed overhead. Countless birds of victim passed away in this method. The primary step in safeguarding raptors involved educating people about the problem.
Richard Pough (who would later end up being the very first president of The Nature Conservancy) visited Hawk Mountain in 1929 and documented the carnage.
His images led another conservationist, Rosalie Edge, to rent that eastern Pennsylvania ridge, ultimately establishing the worlds very first sanctuary for birds of prey. She employed a game warden and the shooting stopped right away. Today Hawk Mountain is a must-visit hotspot for numerous birders and naturalists to witness the annual raptor migration.
There are lots of other areas to catch the migration. The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in California and Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Minnesota offer spectacular viewing (and exceptional educational programs). HawkWatch International runs more than a lots research websites throughout the western United States, all available to the public.
And if you keep an eye out in the regional city park or around your area, you may well identify raptors passing through.