Raptor Migration: The Waning days of September

We are about a month into raptor migration. Small numbers of certain species began migrating in mid-August. By mid-September good numbers of Bald Eagles have passed through the Delaware Valley and this last week saw the bulk of Broad-winged Hawks wing their way overhead on their journey to Central and South America.

As the month of September draws to a close we can expect to see the numbers of American Kestrels (above), Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Harriers and Ospreys increase. It is an exciting time of the year and well worth visiting a local hawk watch site.

You can find a Hawk Watch Site by clicking here.

Kestrels, harriers and sharpies that breed in Canada and the northern states make up most of these migrants and are likely to be the ones that overwinter as far south as Central America.  Those birds in our region and the Mid-Atlantic probably only make short movements in response to food supplies.  All but the southern population of Ospreys will migration, these being distrubted throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and as far south as Brazil in South America.