Watching Migration Hawks

Migrating hawks follow well defined routes as they move to their southern homes. Most hawks are soaring birds that depend on updrafts to help them travel. They do not like to cross large bodies of water where there are no updrafts. Instead, they will follow a land routes and shorelines to navigate around large bodies of water. For this reason, certain geographical locations become concentration spots where hawks gather prior to crossing a narrow stretch of water. Such locations are excellent places to observe migrating hawks.

In North America, there are many excellent places to observe concentrations of migrating hawks. One place is Holiday Beach, Ontario, on the northwestern corner of Lake Erie. Here, migrating hawks, eagles and songbirds that have followed the north shore of Lake Erie looking for a narrow place to cross the lake concentrate prior to crossing the Detroit River and moving south.

Each fall, hundreds of thousands of hawks eagles, ospreys and falcons withdraw from their breeding grounds across North America and move to their wintering grounds, some as far away as southern South America.

Some species, such as this Cooper’s Hawk, remain in North America and stake out backyard bird feeders in hopes of making a meal out of an unwary bird. This individual has captured a Mourning Dove.