After 50 years of raptor monitoring and conservation, we are thrilled to announce that we’re changing our name! Reflecting the expanded geographic scope of its operations, the Hawk Migration Association of North America, Inc. (HMANA) has changed its name to Hawk Migration Association, Inc. (HMA). Our staff and board are very excited for this new chapter, and feel this name will be more inclusive of the entire monitoring network and that it more accurately describes the scope of the work we do. We’ve also updated our logo. The map now shows the full scope of the monitoring network and we’re saying goodbye to the Golden Eagle! We’ve opted to go with a Broad-winged Hawk which is a species more representative of the Americas. This new name is the result of a long history of hawk watching, decades of dedicated data collection and education efforts and is a testimony to the growing interest and call to action to make a difference for raptors.
At the time of our organization’s founding in 1974, the hawk watching network was made up of a few dozen sites in the eastern United States and Canada. Today, there are approximately 200 sites across the United States, more than 20 in Canada, and significantly, 12 in Central and South America. Incoming HMA Chairman Brian Wargo remarks, “We hope to discover and support more international sites in the future. Counts from such sites increase scientific understanding of the scope of migration, the importance of wintering grounds and stop-over locations, and the like.”
Keeping our eyes on the horizon, the Hawk Migration Association is ready for the next 50 years of making a difference for raptors!
