It’s a bird! It’s a plane!…. No, it really is a bird!

October is the time of year to talk about hawk migration! What is so special about hawk migration you ask? Well, how cool would it be to see hundreds of thousands of hawks sore overhead? The great thing about hawk migration is we don’t have to travel far to see this spectacular event. Michigan is part of the Mississippi flyway, which runs from central Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. When these birds migrate, they follow ridgelines and shorelines, avoiding large bodies of water. The birds travel on thermals. Thermals are columns of warm air rising from the ground. The raptors will soar, gaining altitude in a thermal, set their wings, and glide to the next thermal. This means they use little energy in flight. When a group of birds is soaring on the thermals it is called a kettle. A kettle does not all have to be the same species of bird.

Fall hawk migration starts in September and you can see large numbers of migrating birds. Ospreys, broad-winged hawks, Swainson’s hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, bald eagles, and American kestrels all peak in their migration around mid-September. October might not have the same numbers, but it excels in species diversity. It is possible to see all 16 regularly occurring species in October. All the previously mentioned birds along with red-shouldered hawks, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawk, turkey vultures, northern harrier, and peregrine falcons peak this month. Golden eagles, northern goshawks, and rough-legged hawks start to be seen, peaking in November. During this three-month hawk-watching season in southeast Michigan, numbers can range from 30,000-600,000 birds. Today, as I am writing this article, more than 3,500 birds have been recorded by Detroit River Hawk Watch. If you want to look at the days’ count you can visit: http://detroitriverhawkwatch.org/day-s-summary.html.

The best time to observe hawk migration in the fall is often the second day after a cold front has passed. This is especially true if there are steady northwest or west winds. You just need to find a hilltop, open area, or shoreline with a clear view to the north or northwest. Hawk identification can be challenging, but one way to help is to know the different silhouettes of the types of hawks. Check out some tips below. Then go out and give hawk watching a shot!

(All photos from Detroit River Hawk Watch)