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Migration of the Raptor in Wisconsin

Wisconsin, rich in water resources and river corridors, is home to many raptors, including northern goshawk, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk, broad-winged hawk, merlins, American kestral and many species of owls. In addition, Wisconsin provides major migration corridors for raptors in the spring and fall. U.S. Fish and Wildlife performed an analysis of river and forest systems with a north-south orientation in Wisconsin to determine which were the most important as corridors for diurnal raptor and other bird migrations.

Lake Michigan Shoreline
- Lake Michigan shoreline is probably the most important migratory corridor for more than 200 plus species of birds. Eight individual important bird areas are located along the shoreline. Lake Michigan's shore is the major inland corridor for fall-migrating merlin and peregrine falcon, an endangered species. Other raptors that migrate along the shoreline include the rough-legged hawk, red-tailed hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, osprey and bald eagle, as well as the northern saw-whet and long-eared owls. Water birds, shorebirds and passerines also use this route for migration. Lake Michigan shoreline includes estuaries, dunes and state forests.
Upper Mississippi River
- The upper Mississippi River is another important corridor for migratory birds, and an IBA runs from the junction with the Chippewa River to the Illinois state line. Breeding raptors, such as bald eagles, red-shouldered hawks and peregrine falcons, use the upper Mississippi River, along which they find wooded islands, marshes and backwaters, as their migration route in Wisconsin during fall and spring.
Lower Wisconsin River
- While the upper Wisconsin River is a working river with 25 hydroelectric dams, the lower Wisconsin has been dedicated to conservation, beginning in 1917. This unspoiled area of numerous state wildlife sections, state parks and natural areas has long been used by raptors for migration. An important bird area runs for 86 miles along the river way. Raptors using the lower Wisconsin River include both gold and bald eagles, northern harrier, short-eared owl and rough-legged and other hawks. Wooded bluffs and high cliffs provide shelter for wintering bald and gold eagles. The 75,000 acres of protected land included wooded islands, forests on both sides of the river and the river itself.
St. Croix and Lower Chippewa Rivers
- The St. Croix IBA features raptor migration of bald eagles, osprey, turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks. Scattered oak and maple covered islands form where the St. Croix meets the Apple River and provide shelter for migrating raptors. Broad-winged hawks, red-shouldered hawks and bald eagles migrate and sometimes winter along the St. Croix and the Lower Chippewa important bird areas. A large concentration of remaining prairie and savannas lie along the river. Interspersed within the river channels are islands of floodplain forest, providing shelter and wintering areas for red-shouldered hawks among other species.

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