Washington Crossing Audubon Society

Hawk Migration Timetable

As far as weather conditions go, the first day after the passage of a cold front is best for ridge sites, such as Raccoon Ridge, Sunrise Mountain and Chimney Rock. The second day after the front is usually best for coastal sites, such as Cape May.

• Osprey * - September and early October.

• Bald Eagle *# - late August and September, with another surge in late October - early November.

• Golden Eagle # - late October and early November.

• American Kestrel *# - September and early October.

• Merlin # - mid-September through October.

• Peregrine Falcon *# - mid-September through October.

• Gyrfalcon # - November, December; very rare.

• Sharp-shinned Hawk *# - September and October.

• Cooper's Hawk *# - late September through October, peaking about two weeks later than Sharp-shinneds.

• Northern Goshawk *# - late October through November.

• Broad-winged Hawk * - September.

• Red-shouldered Hawk *# - October through early November.

• Red-tailed Hawk *# - late October through November.

• Swainson's Hawk - September and October; very rare.

• Rough-legged Hawk # - November.

• Northern Harrier *# - throughout.

• Turkey Vulture *# - throughout.

• Black Vulture *# - throughout, unpredictable.

The time periods given above for each species are approximate; small numbers of each species may pass before and/or after the given time frame. Peak migration for each species will be near the middle of the given time frame, but may vary with weather conditions. Broad-winged hawks have a classic migration peak in mid-September, with a large percentage of the birds passing in a matter of two or three days; most other species have a more diffused migration period.

SOME USEFUL BOOKS FOR THE HAWK WATCHER

• Peterson, Roger Tory. 1980. Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds (4th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. The best of the bird field guides, this covers raptors adequately for most purposes, and of course all the other eastern birds as well. Other bird field guides, such as the National Geographic Society Guide to North American Birds or the Golden Guide to North American Birds are acceptable substitutes.

• Dunne, Pete, David Sibley and Clay Sutton. 1988. Hawks in Flight. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. An excellent work emphasizing the flight identification of distant birds of prey, using conventional field marks as well as characters such as shape, posture and behavior. Buy it if you are serious about hawkwatching.

• Clark, William S. and Brian K. Wheeler. 1987. Peterson Field Guide to Hawks. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Covers all North American raptors in detail; lots of information and good range maps. Some field marks suggested in this book are of limited utility in the field.

• Boyle, William J. 1986. A Guide to Birdfinding in NJ. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. Contains directions to several well-known hawk look-outs.

THINGS TO BRING TO A HAWKWATCH

Binoculars. The best you can afford.

Clothing appropriate to the weather. Remember, most lookouts are exposed to wind and sun, and so are hotter when it's hot and colder when it is cold. Wear layers of clothing that can be added or removed as needed.

Lunch and plenty of fluids.

Spotting Scope and Tripod (optional); usually not needed.

Hat with brim (optional).

Sunglasses (optional).

Sunscreen (optional).

Field guide (optional).

Notebook/pen (optional).

Patience (mandatory).

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact either of the following:
	Regarding WCAS - contact@washingtoncrossingaudubon.org Regarding web pages - webmaster@washingtoncrossingaudubon.org Note: Due to SPAM issues, the e-mail addresses do not automatically open an e-mail anymore.

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Last revision: Wednesday, January 07, 1998