How to Watch Eagles, Hawks and Other Raptors Migrating through Pennsylvania

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By Carla Lucas
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Waiting for raptors on the North Lookout at Hawk Mountain.

Hawk Mountain is called Hawk Mountain for a reason. Located along the Appalachian Flyway, in east-central Pennsylvania, raptors (eagles, hawks, and falcons) pass by this important wildlife sanctuary as they migrate south in the fall and north, back to their breeding grounds, in the spring.

In the early part of the 20th century hunters would shoot the birds as they soared close to the mountain on their yearly migration. Thousands of birds were slaughtered for the sport of it. In 1934 conservations bought the land and turned it into a wildlife sanctuary.

Now, birdwatchers of all experiences assist the Sanctuary's research by participating in the annual bird count. At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's North Lookout each bird that soars passed is identified and tallied by species. During the Autumn 2007 HawkCount a total of 19, 404 birds were counted. These included 230 bald eagles, 7,831 broad-winged hawks, 717 osprey, and 38 peregrine falcons.

A visit to Hawk Mountain is a great experience with the opportunity to see some amazing birds in their natural habitat, as well as spend some time outdoors. Continue reading for more information on how to get the most out of your hawk mountain experience.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Binoculars, optional but useful
Camera with a telephoto lens
Tripod, optional but useful
Raptor field guide, optional but useful

Step 1

A red-tailed hawk soars overhead

The best time to visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is during the fall migration, which begins mid-August and ends mid-December. The largest numbers of eagles, falcons, and hawks pass between September and November. The spring migration is much smaller with the largest numbers of birds passing late April to early May.
Step 2

When arriving at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary spend some time in the Visitors' Center learning about the raptors and how to identify them. Pay particular attention as to how to identify the birds by their silhouette in the sky.
Step 3

It's a short, but slightly strenuous walk out to North Lookout, the sanctuary's best place for bird watching.
Step 4

North Lookout is a large rocky ledge. Pull up a seat on any empty rock.
Step 5

Start scanning the skies for birds.
Step 6

When you become tired of bird watching, take a hike along any of the Sanctuary's eight miles of trails. Many trails follow the rim of the canyon so you can see some birds as you hike.
Step 7

One visit to Hawk Mountain and you will be searching the skies where you live all the time trying to identify those birds soaring through the air.

Tips & Warnings

Don't forget to bring a pair of binoculars for an even better look at the raptors.
Check out the Hawk Mountain website (see below) for a chart that lists the times when various species are expected to pass.
The Hawk Mountain Gift Shop sells a pocket-sized Flight Guide. This is a great purchase to take out to North Lookout in helping to identify the birds that are flying by.
During various times of the year, especially during the height of the fall migration, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's naturalists, staff members, and volunteers are at the North Lookout. They usually call attention to the special birds as they soar by and are more than happy to answer any questions.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has an information line to help you decide if the trip that day could be successful. Call the Info Line for an update on weather conditions (610-756-6000, opt 7) before you go.
Wear hiking boots or sneakers. There are lots of rocky trails to navigate.
Directions and other details can be found at the Hawk Mountain website (see below).