Broad-winged Hawk
Latin: Buteo platypterus
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Where are the best places to watch, count, and photograph fall raptor migration? Find out here.
Northern Harrier. Photo: Scott Dere/Audubon Photography Awards
Have you ever witnessed a “kettle”? No, we aren’t talking about the kitchen appliance.
Each spring and fall, Broad-winged Hawks and other birds of prey migrate by the thousands in large flocks called “kettles,” soaring on thermals to and from their breeding grounds and winter habitat thousands of miles away. Spring migration takes place between March and May, while fall raptor migration season occurs from late August through November.
In this webinar on raptor migration, hear from bird experts and trained hawkwatchers from Audubon Connecticut, Bedford Audubon Society, and Braddock Bay Raptor Research.
During spring and fall migration, volunteer hawkwatchers count and observe thousands of raptors. The data is compiled and recorded to help advance scientific study and research. On a good day, visitors may see a variety and large number of hawks such as eagles, kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ospreys, Broad-winged Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons among others.
Those who participate in hawk watching are encouraged to submit data to the Hawk Migration Association of America. The numbers help inform conservation action to increase the health of raptor populations and can be viewed at www.hawkcount.org.
Follow Audubon New York on Facebook and Instagram for season-long migration fun-facts, photos, and updates!
Get your binoculars ready (or don't, since these large birds can be seen with the naked eye!), and get ready to see some birds of prey.
Because the migration route is influenced by weather patterns, hotspot viewing locations can vary from year to year and you don't always have to go to or near an official or active hawkwatch site to enjoy the show—but here are some good places to start.
Top Spots for Fall Migration: Late August - Early November
The best time to look for migrating hawks in astonishing numbers is after a cold front, with a north or northwest wind.
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch - located in Mt. Kisco, NY. There are hawkwatch staff from Bedford Audubon on site 7 days a week, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.!
Fire Island - located on the south shore of Long Island. Click here for directions to the hawkwatch site.
Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch - located on the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary overlooking Oneonta, NY.
Hook Mountain State Park - located in Nyack, NY, this hawkwatch site is staffed throughout the fall by Rockland Audubon Society members.
Lenoir Preserve (Mansion) Hawkwatch - located on the border of Yonkers and Hastings-on-Hudson in Westchester, this site is on a large field overlooking the Hudson River. Join volunteers from Hudson River Audubon Society: details here.
Mount Peter Hawkwatch - located in Warwick, NY at a high point along the Bellvale Mountain Ridge.
Top Spots for Spring Migration: March - May
Braddock Bay Park and Frisbee Hill Park - located in Monroe County, NY at a point on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Notable fall migration observations also take place here.
Derby Hill Bird Observatory - located at the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario in Oswego County, NY.
Hamburg Hawkwatch - located at Lakeside Cemetery in Hamburg, NY.
There are more great viewing sites right next door - click to see what Connecticut has to offer this hawkwatch season!
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