Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: The Mountain and the MigrationIf watching a hawk, eagle or falcon lifts your spirits, good news has arrived: at this time of year, you have every chance of spotting one at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the world's first refuge for birds of prey. Some call it “one of the greatest spectacles of nature.” From August to December, an average 20,000 hawks, eagles and falcons soar over the Sanctuary's rocky North Lookout, a 1,500-foot outcropping on the Kittatinny Ridge in eastern Pennsylvania . Many fly past at eye-level. Each year more than 70,000 people head to the Sanctuary for a glimpse of the birds and the Appalachian Mountain scenery. Those in the right place at the right time may even spot thousands in one day. September is a particularly appealing time to visit, when visitor numbers are low, but bird numbers are high. Passing through in late summer are ospreys, bald eagles and American kestrels. In the morning, colorful songbirds pass in waves on their own migration. During the first two weeks of September last year, counters recorded 50 to 100 warblers and vireos each day, representing 21 species. This is also the last chance to enjoy the still-green, but subtly changing Appalachian Mountain views and balmy weather.
In mid-September, broad-winged hawk numbers build. These small, round-winged raptors gain altitude in circling thermals, or rising columns of air, before gliding by gracefully. If your timing is right, you can spot thousands of broadwings swirling by in a “kettle” in one day. For example, on September 20, 2002 , counters recorded 3,165 broad-winged hawks. By mid-October, northwest winds bring the greatest species diversity—16 in all—and fall foliage is at its peak. During prime conditions, visitors can get good views of red-tailed, red-shouldered, rough-legged, sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks, northern harriers, peregrine falcons and merlins. In November, the migration begins to ebb, but this when hawkwatchers can expect to see golden eagles and northern goshawks. By December, the skies have emptied, but the North Lookout draws visitors seeking solitude and an occasional bald eagle.
Raptor Migration The phenomenon of migration is an age-old story: raptors have followed the Appalachian Mountains southward for thousands of years. Weather affects the number of raptors seen on any given day, though not the total number in a season. The largest flights generally occur after a passage of a cold front, when northwest winds prevail. During warmer days in September and less frequently in October, raptors also use pockets of warm, rising air called “thermals” to fuel their long distance journeys. Thermals allow birds of prey to ascend quickly to thousands of feet and then glide in the direction of their destination. Because thermals do not occur over water, raptors hug the Appalachian Mountain as they travel south. Located along the southernmost ridge of the Appalachian chain, the rocky promontories of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary provide ideal forest openings to observe the spectacle. Some birds migrate thousands of miles to wintering grounds in Central and South America . Others like the bald eagle, shortstop in the southeastern United States . Rare birds turn up during most migration seasons. In 2002, rarities included a great egret on September 18, the first Mississippi kite ever sighted during the fall season at Hawk Mountain on October 8, and a long-eared owl on November 11. Non-raptor sightings are also recorded and include migrating hummingbirds, chimney swifts, songbirds, butterflies and waterfowl.
Visiting Hawk Mountain Sanctuary For the novice bird or hawkwatcher, it's best to begin at the Visitor Center where educational displays introduce visitors to the charismatic family of hawks, eagles and falcons. The Wings of Wonder Gallery , featuring 19 life-sized raptor carvings, helps teach hawk identification by comparing the relative shapes and sizes of all birds. A Mountain Bookstore offers site-specific field guides and raptor books such as the North Lookout Trail Guide and the Hawk Mountain Flight Guide . Free education programs include Raptors Up Close!, featuring a live hawk or owl, Binocular Basics for kids, Hawk Identification , Hawk Mountain 's history as the world's first raptor refuge and more. Programs are offered every Saturday and Sunday through November. Visitors can also plan trips to coincide with a free Saturday evening lecture near the Visitor Center fireplace. A complete list of programs, events and lectures is available on the Sanctuary website. Binocular rentals and light snacks are available in the Visitor Center . Most seasoned visitors wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes, and carry a daypack with lunch, binoculars and water. The Sanctuary follows a carry-in, carry-out trash policy.
Conservation Science Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has been monitoring the autumnal passage since 1934. As the birds drift south from Canada , New England and New York to escape winter weather and low food supplies, staff, interns and hawkwatchers alike gather to count the number of these normally solitary and widespread birds. For biologists, the migration represents a unique opportunity to estimate populations. of these normally widespread, reclusive birds. Today, the Sanctuary's annual counts represent the longest and most detailed record of raptor migration in the world.
By annually counting migrating hawks over the decades, scientists can determine short- and long-term population trends, assessing the health of each species and its habitats. Rachel Carson, for example, cited the dip in Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's count of immature bald eagles during the ‘50s and ‘60s, in her conservation classic Silent Spring . During the precipitous DDT decline, hawk Mountain counts were used to document the declines of many species. Other Sanctuary science includes studies on patterns and processes of raptor migration, the effects of local land use on wildlife, and assessment of long-term raptor population trends. The Sanctuary's new biological field station and training site, the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, has allowed conservation science efforts to expand. The Acopian Center provides a research facility complete with offices, library, laboratory, map and archival storage rooms, as well as on-site facilities for visiting scientists, resident interns and graduate students conducting field work. The Sanctuary has also taken the lead on raptor migration science and conservation by publishing Raptor Watch, a global directory of raptor migration sites with BirdLife International. More than 800 raptor experts contributed to the 419-page book that describes 388 globally significant sites in 89 countries. Raptor Watch provides detailed information, site by site, on the numbers and kinds of raptors passing through, the history and scope of counting activity and the site conservation status. To protect raptors, the Sanctuary systematically works with partners to identify concentration points around the world and to foster those sites as self-sustaining conservation centers. Watchsites in Cuba , Bolivia , Guatemala , Panama , Mexico and Costa Rica provide valuable information on the numbers of migrants that breed in North America and migrate to Latin America . The new sites provide public access to the grand spectacle of migration and replicate the successful combination of education, research and monitoring programs used at Hawk Mountain in support of conservation. Two of the sites, in Mexico and Costa Rica , each record an extraordinary passage of more than one million birds of prey.
Scenic Overlooks and Trails In addition to intimate views of soaring birds, Hawk Mountain 's overlooks provide sweeping views of the fall foliage and vistas that stretch as far as 70 miles. The autumn colors of the central Appalachian forest traditionally peak in mid-October. Other landforms visible from the South Lookout, a scenic 1,100-foot overlook just 100 yards from the Visitor Center , include the River of Rocks , a 3/4 mile-long Ice-age boulder field, and the Kettle, a fault basin situated between Hawk Mountain and the Pinnacle ridge. North Lookout, a two-mile, round-trip walk, offers a 180-degree panorama of Pennsylvania's Appalachian ridge and valley province, a series of undulating ridges stretching to the center of the state. The longer trails in the Sanctuary's eight-mile network are rocky and somewhat challenging. The trail system also connects to the 2,000-mile long Appalachian Trail .
History Part of Hawk Mountain 's appeal is its rich and telling history. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, thousands of migrating hawks were shot from the Sanctuary's overlooks. Amateur ornithologist Richard Pough reported details of the carnage at Hawk Mountain to scientific and ornithological societies in New York and Philadelphia , hoping to stir action. His message caught the attention of New Yorker Rosalie Barrow Edge, who stopped the gunfire by buying an option on 1,400 mountaintop acres and installing a curator and warden in 1934. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary became the world's first refuge for birds of prey. Today the Sanctuary has a full time staff of 16, a volunteer corps of 230 and a 25-member board of directors. In addition, Hawk Mountain provides a conservation internship program, global in scope, to college-level students. To date, more than 220 interns from across the globe have passed through Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. An association of 9,000 members nationwide supports its operations and programs.
General Information The 2,600-acre Sanctuary is open year round. The Visitor Center , “Wings of Wonder” raptor gallery, bookstore and gift shop are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Located about 25 miles north of Reading , the Sanctuary is just 7 miles north of I-78 and Cabela's. Sturdy shoes for trail walking and a backpack or fannypack to carry gear are recommended. Binoculars can be rented at the Visitor Center , where light snacks are available. Trail fees are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children ages six to 12 . Children under six are free. On weekends, September through November, trail fees increase to $7 for adults and seniors. For more information call 610-756-6961 or visit www.hawkmountain.org .
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