Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

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

04/03/2026

March Count Recap!

March was an overall cold and cloudy month, with two days cancelled due to weather; but the very beginning of the month was strong, kicking off with some lovely days reaching 50°F and solid numbers of Golden and Bald Eagles. The rest of the month seemed to discourage Bald Eagle flight, landing us at the end with lower-than-average Bald numbers; Goldens were only slightly below average. (Averages were calculated from the years 2018 and after.)

Not all species were discouraged by the weather, however—per the trend of the last couple of years, Turkey Vulture numbers blew previous years out of the water, with this month’s total ending at 63, a whopping ~three times the previous March high total of 23 vultures in 2010! Keep those TVs coming!

We’ve also had higher-than-average March numbers of Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Merlin. Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and American Kestrel numbers were around average, and Rough-legged Hawk was below average, though that species is highly variable year to year. Some non-raptor highlights included a local Western Meadowlark one day, and a migrating Ross’s Goose on the 30th!

Here’s to a birdy April! 🥂

-Counter, Marie

03/24/2026

Yesterday was a great day for migration at the West Skyline Spring Count -- 326 Bald eagles pushed through during the day. Enjoy these photos from Frank Nicoletti and the count update from Marie below.

"Superb flight, starting in force about an hour into the count, with multiple flight lines of eagles—some higher westside, some way out over the lake, and some right overhead, including one truly spectacular close Golden Eagle! As expected, birds got higher as afternoon came on, and by late afternoon lines of eagles could be picked out filing fairly high overhead (though never concerningly high). Despite the increased west/southwest winds, the lines seemed to shift more westside during the late afternoon, including a lone Sharp-shinned Hawk that spiraled up and out in the late afternoon sun. Thanks to everyone who came, pointed out birds, and enjoyed the spectacle!"

Follow along at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/3604/ and see you at the count!

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! 🦅❤️

11/14/2025

Support Broad-winged Hawk Conservation!

This fall, Broad-winged Hawk counts were well below average at Hawk Ridge, likely due to unfavorable weather conditions during the peak of their migration at the end of September. When the sun is out and thermals are present, Broad-winged Hawks form large groups or "kettles" above Hawk Ridge. Several days of heavy fog during the end of September did not provide the right conditions for this to occur, with our biggest one-day count just over 6,000.

So where do these birds go when the conditions for migration are not ideal at Hawk Ridge? This is just one of many questions that can be answered using high-resolution telemetry. In the summer of 2026, we plan to deploy transmitters on 4 adult Broad-winged Hawks in Minnesota to investigate this and other questions.

If you want to get involved, please consider donating to support the purchase of transmitters and funding for field crews. To donate, visit our website: https://www.hawkridge.org/research/4539-2/