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Borad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk: peak migration through Big Bald is typically 3rd week of September.


Volunteers conduct raptor migration counts daily from near the summit of Big Bald, weather permitting, from 1000 AM to 1700 PM from the first week in September to early November. Migrating raptors are identified to species and recorded by hour and direction of passage by experienced observers using binoculars and spotting scopes. On days when volunteer manpower is limited, migration observations are made from the raptor trapping station blind. Daily raptor migration flight count totals are submitted to the Hawk Migration Association of North America and these data are made available on their website for public research and raptor population trend analysis (www.hmana.org). Click here to view the Big Bald hawkwatch data on www.hmana.org.

Totals of Migrating Raptors by Species, Observed in Autumn 2009

at Big Bald Hawk Watch, Cherokee National Forest, Unicoi County, TN

 2009

SS

CO

NG

RS

BW

RT

AK

ML

PF

NH

OS

BE

GE

UR

TV

BV

TOT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 SEP

110

21

0

3

1010

50

11

11

5

14

7

7

0

39

85

7

1380

 OCT

87

18

0

0

39

76

16

4

1

2

0

1

0

9

59

0

312

 NOV

1

2

0

0

0

15

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

33

0

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

198

41

0

3

1049

141

27

15

6

16

7

8

0

49

177

7

1744

SS=Sharp-shinned Hawk, CO=Cooper’s Hawk, NG=Northern Goshawk, RS=Red-shouldered Hawk, BW=Broad-winged Hawk, RT=Red-tailed Hawk, AK=American Kestrel, ML=Merlin, PF=Peregrine Falcon, NH=Northern Harrier, OS=Osprey, BE=Bald Eagle, GE=Golden Eagle, UR=Unidentified Raptor, TV=Turkey Vulture, BV=Black Vulture.

View north from the hawkwatch
View north from Big Bald hawkwatch. (Photo by B. Harrison)


Email us at bigbaldbanding@gmail.com

Last updated on March 26, 2010