Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

06/17/2026

Central Flyway Broad-winged Hawk Project Update

We've found five active Broad-winged Hawk nests in the Duluth area over the past month and several others outside of the city. It appears that the eggs from nests in Duluth have hatched over the past two weeks, but we have yet to see the nestlings. One clue that hatching has occurred is a change in the behavior of the incubating female. Instead of sitting low in the nest, the female often sits slightly higher and may squirm or shift as nestlings move beneath her. Can you spot the adult hawks hidden in these nest photos?

Female Broad-winged Hawks are remarkably quiet and well-camouflaged while on the nest. Most of the time, only a watchful eye peeking through the vegetation gives away their presence. The best opportunity to hear them is during prey exchanges. The male will bring food near the nest and call to its mate. The female on the nest carefully assesses whether it is safe to leave before retrieving the prey and returning to the nest. So far, we have observed adults delivering snakes, red squirrels, and small mammals.

We will continue monitoring nests and searching for new ones through early July. At that time, researchers from Hawk Mountain will join us to deploy transmitters on nesting adults. Hawk Mountain has been conducting similar research for more than a decade and brings extensive experience and expertise to this effort.

To learn more about the goals of the project visit our website at: https://www.hawkridge.org/research/4539-2/ . Thank you to the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and all of our generous donors for making this work possible!

06/11/2026

American Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring Update: Nestlings Have Arrived!

Exciting news from our American Kestrel monitoring program—many of this year's eggs have hatched, and nestlings are now filling boxes across the region!

In late May, we banded 28 adult American Kestrels and recaptured five previously banded birds. Two of the recaptured adults had been banded in 2025, while three others were birds originally banded as nestlings in 2022, 2023, and 2025. These recaptures provide valuable information about longevity, survival, and breeding-site fidelity (whether birds return to the same area to breed year after year).

Nest box occupancy remains high, with approximately 75% of boxes occupied across our study area spanning Clover Valley, Minnesota, and Douglas County, Wisconsin. Kestrels are not the only species interested in the boxes, however. This season we have documented three boxes occupied by squirrels (both red and gray squirrels) and three occupied by European Starlings.

With many chicks now hatched, the next milestone is fledging. About 30 days after hatching, young kestrels will leave the nest and begin preparing for their first migration south. Fall migration will be here before we know it!

Stay tuned for our next update, when we'll share highlights from this year's kestrel nestling banding season. Thanks to Frank Nicoletti, David Alexander, Taylor Peltier, and Emily Pavlovic for help with the work so far this season!

06/05/2026

Join us for our Summer Naturalist Series starting tomorrow with Saturday Nature Hikes! We’ll explore a different trail each week at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve to learn about North Shore phenology and what calls the nature reserve home for the summer! Pack your binoculars, lace up your shoes, and gear up for a fun hike!

Dates: Saturdays June 6th, 13th, & 20th

Time: 2:00-3:30pm

Location: Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (meet at main overlook by Hawk Ridge signage - approx. address 3980 E Skyline Pkwy, Duluth, MN)

Cost: Suggested donation $5 in support of Hawk Ridge bird research & education

What to Bring: dress in layers, water, sunscreen, insect deterrent, hiking shoes/gear

Special Notes: trails are natural-surface and may be rugged with some rocky steps & hike may be canceled due to inclement weather. NEW accessible trail loop work to begin this summer!

For more information about this event visit us on our website!

https://www.hawkridge.org

05/28/2026

Bald Eagles galore! We are one Bald Eagle away from 6,000 individuals counted since March 1st. Will you be at the count to see number 6,000!? Join us for the last three days of the West Skyline Spring Count which ends on May 31st!

Final spring public programs are this weekend:

Warbler Walk - Sat May 30th @ 1 pm
Wings over West Skyline - Sun May 31st @ 1 pm

Thanks to all have joined us to marvel at the spectacle of migration this spring. We hope to see you for the final days of the spring count!

05/18/2026

Can you believe we're already half-way through May?! Here's an April count update from Marie and some pictures taken this month by Frank Nicoletti:

Red-tails, roughies, and sharpies, oh my!! April was an intense month at the West Skyline Hawk Count. Five days had no count due to classic cold Duluth snow, rain, or fog, despite beautiful weather just south of Duluth on many of those days. This most likely bottled up birds, and on favorable days in Duluth the bottle burst wide open!

This April’s Red-tailed Hawk total count was the highest ever since 2004, and our total Rough-legged and Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers topped any West Skyline April ever—especially impressive considering the total hours the hawk count was conducted this April ended up being the lowest ever since a consistent count was started in 2018. We had above-average numbers of migrating Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Bald Eagles, and Cooper’s Hawks; Northern Harriers, Merlins, and Peregrine Falcons were around average. Broad-winged Hawk numbers are incredibly variable year-to-year, and this year they did not seem to appreciate the Duluth weather and were much below average; American Kestrels were also notably below average.

One non-raptor species stands out for special mention this April: an incredible reverse migration of Northern Flickers occurred on April 18th, with over a thousand counted at the West Skyline Hawk Count in one truly dazzling migration spectacle of yellowhammers along the ridge! Reverse migration spectacles result from favorable migration conditions suddenly turning very unfavorable, such as a sudden drop in temperature and switch to headwind, and consist of a brief period of birds flying the “wrong” direction (e.g., south instead of north in spring). This April will definitely go down in the books as one to remember!

05/14/2026

It’s going to be a big night for migration!

The biggest night so far this Spring, with over 41 million birds forecasted to travel through MN tonight!

Turning off unnecessary lights after dark helps reduce disorientation and deadly window collisions.

Please help keep the skies safer tonight:
• Turn off decorative and unnecessary lighting
• Close blinds and curtains
• Encourage workplaces and buildings to participate

Every light out helps.

05/08/2026

Join us this Saturday and Sunday at West Skyline Hawk Count for a fun filled weekend of programs!

Kicking off the weekend is our Count and Connect starting at 11:00 am! Come to the count and enjoy the spring migration while enjoying a treat and looking through a spotting scope for birds!

Following at 1:00 pm is Wings, Talons, and Tails! Join naturalist Lydia to learn more about how wing shapes, talons, and tails tell part of the stories of these migratory birds.

Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday at 1:00 pm is Wings Over West Skyline. Come learn about the count, the diversity of birds that come back every spring, and discover what makes the spring count different than the fall!

We cannot wait to see you there!

04/17/2026

What a week we've had at West Skyline Hawk Count! A record-setting week starting on April 13th, with a new single-day high count of 739 for Turkey Vultures, with the old record being 677 back in 2014. The Red-tailed Hawks had an amazing week, totaling 2,238 in four days, with a good mix of dark morph birds. American White Pelicans are back and staging on the St. Louis River, waiting for the ice to melt on inland lakes to the north. Chamber's Grove City Park is an amazing place to see these birds before their journey. We look forward to more warm spring days with lots of birds still to come! Come visit us at the count! We look forward to seeing you!

Raptor total for the week: 5,899

Photo: Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk

11/27/2025

Rough-legs > Turkey legs! On this snowy Thanksgiving, 22 Rough-legged Hawks, 29 Bald Eagles, 5 Golden Eagles and 3 Red-tailed Hawk (including a dark morph!) flew by the Ridge! We hope to see you all out for the final weekend of the count Nov. 28-30.

11/21/2025

Thank you for Giving to the Max for Hawk Ridge! Nearly $13,700 was raised in support of our bird research & education programs! We are so grateful to all of you for helping give us the opportunity to continue sharing our love of birds with others! 🦅❤️