Event Date: September 18 & 19, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (DST)

In partnership with the Toronto Ornithological Club, the Ontario Field Ornithologists, the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch, Holiday Beach Migration Observatory, Hawk Cliff Hawk Watch, Hawkwatch International, and Birds Canada, HMANA is supporting and recruiting participants for a 2-day dispersed hawkwatch event that unifies the hawkwatch and birding communities. Called the GREAT Great Lakes Hawkwatch, we aim to organize and support community scientists in conducting standardized raptor migration counts, outside of traditionally monitored hawkwatch sites.

The overarching goal of the project is to create an inclusive annual raptor migration count across a patchwork of currently undescribed sites, to improve quantitative knowledge of raptor movements. Additional project goals are to:

1) Describe “smaller” raptor migration corridors in comparison to long-term monitoring sites

2) Improve knowledge of species-specific movement corridors

3) Improve understanding of raptor migration under varied weather conditions

4) Create an annual community-science project, to mobilize and educate the public about raptor migration

5) Invite a more diverse community into hawkwatch data collection efforts, hopefully improving inclusivity of hawkwatching

Participants can count either day (or both!), submit data directly into hawkcount.org, and help raise a collective voice for raptor conservation. Novice birders to expert hawkwatchers are welcome to count migrant raptors from anywhere, and enter their data directly into hawkcount.org.

Inquiries can be directed to HMANA Board member Robert Spaul (spaul.robert@gmail.com). You can also join Rob at the June Lunch & Learn while he describes the plan for the 2021 pilot project in Ontario and see how you can help expand the effort across the Great Lakes region.

Click HERE to Register for the Program!