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Hawk Migration Patterns in Pennsylvania

Hawks are migratory birds of prey, whose annual flight south in the winter and their return in the spring is observed by many hawk watchers at sites throughout Pennsylvania. Many of these hawk watchers are also volunteers who help record the number and types of hawks they see to Hawk Count (hawkcount.org) a database that helps to track hawk migration throughout North America.

Pennsylvania Hawk Migration Locations
- Autumn in Eastern Pennsylvania is a good time to go hawk watching.
  
  Migrating hawks have been spotted across the state of Pennsylvania. However, most of the hawk-watching sites identified by the Hawk Migration Association of North America are in the eastern to central part of the state. Of those sites, Hawk Mountain in Kempton has achieved particular renown as being a top spot to see migrating hawks, particularly during the fall migration. Because of the mountain elevation many of the hawks can be observed at eye level.
Fall Migration
- Most hawk species fly south to their wintering grounds in the fall as the weather starts to get cooler. Some will travel as far as South America. Because hawks have well-defined migration patterns, certain sites in Pennsylvania are favored by hawk watchers due to the likelihood of seeing one. The actual time of migration varies from species to species. In Pennsylvania, the fall migration begins in mid-August for the earliest to migrate and runs as late as mid-December for hawks that migrate later. The peak of the fall migration in Pennsylvania occurs between late September and the end of October.
Spring Migration
- In the spring, migratory hawks can first be seen in Pennsylvania skies at the beginning of April.
  
  In the spring hawks pass back into and through the state as they return to their breeding grounds. Because of the prevailing winds in the spring, the hawks are pushed farther westward during their return flight and many of the Eastern and Central Pennsylvania hawk-watching sites experience far less migrating hawks than during the fall migration. The spring migration can be observed in Pennsylvania from the beginning of April through the middle of May.
Types of Hawks
- Eagles along with other birds of prey are often included in many hawk-watch counts.
  
  The types of hawks seen most often during the fall and spring migrations in Pennsylvania are the sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper's hawk, goshawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk and rough-legged hawk. Other migratory raptors that are also observed during these migrations and often included in many hawk-watch counts include the osprey, bald eagle, northern harrier, golden eagle, American kestrel, merlin and peregrine falcon.

Animals & Science