PRIMARY MIGRATION TIMING SPECIES SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Osprey Sharp- shinned Hawk IDENTIFICATION GUIDE Northern Harrier to the Raptors of American Kestrel Merlin Broad-winged Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Peregrine Falcon Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Our Mission The mission of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is to Bald Eagle protect birds of prey and other migratory birds in the Western Lake Golden Eagle Superior Region through research, education, and stewardship.

Hawk Ridge count The RECORD NUMBER Activities at Hawk Ridge of raptors counted in: & banding research • Hawkwatching • Photography have been in action for ONE DAY: • Live Bird Education • Public programs OVER 40 YEARS! 102,321 Demos • Kid's Cart on Sept. 15, 2003 Hawk Ridge averages • Hiking • Merchandise Trailer OVER 75,000 ONE SEASON: 205,087 www.hawkridge.org migrating raptors Contact Us! [email protected] • 218.428.6209 each fall. in 2003 ACCIPITERS FALCONS

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Aug, Sep, Oct) Steady American Kestrel (Sep, Oct) •Flap, flap, Most common accipiter. Flaps and glides • Very common. Small, rufous back and flap, glide intermittently. Immature brown above flapping tail with very pointy wings. Flapping is with brown streaking on breast & belly fast and looks loose-jointed. •Usually low below; adult, bluish-gray back, rusty •Fast pumping breast. Jay size. flight Merlin (Sep, Oct) •Short, Common. A little bigger, darker, faster, rounded Cooper’s Hawk (Sep, Oct) •Pointed heavier and more aggressive than the wings Uncommon. Coloration same as shin. wings kestrel. Similar shape. Larger size and rounded tail often Peregrine Falcon (Sep) •Long tail difficult to determine. Longer neck/ •Bullet-shaped head profile and straighter leading body Crow size. A large, heavy falcon. edge of wing vs. shin. Typically high and fast. Adults have dark •‘T’ shape backs, light breasts and dark mustaches. Northern Goshawk (Oct, Nov) Immatures have paler heads, brown backs Crow/raven size. Immature same and brown streaks on the breast/belly. coloration as shin; adult has slate gray back, lighter breast, white eye line, dark cap. Heavier bodied than other EAGLES accipiters. Note paler wing coverts. Bald Eagle (Oct, Nov) •Very large Broad, flat wings. Usually alone. BUTEOS Immature is dark with white mottling, •Apt to soar often mistaken for a Golden Eagle. Broad-winged Hawk (Sep) & glide Adults have dark bodies and wings •Most apt to Smallest buteo. Abundant in large kettles •Usually very with a white head and tail. Much more soar & glide during mid to late September. Immature dark common than the Golden Eagle. has narrowly banded tail. Adult has a distinctive thickly-banded black and white Golden Eagle (Oct, Nov) •Broad, Uncommon. Broad, slightly dihedral rounded tail. Underwing clear with black outline on all ages. wings. Adult all dark. Immature has white wings & underwing spots and white on upper tail. tail when Red-tailed Hawk (Oct, Nov) Smaller head and beak than Bald Eagle. soaring Large, usually solitary, common, often has a light breast & belly with a noticeable belly band. Adult has rufous tail, imma- HARRIER ture has narrow brown bands. Plumage highly variable. Note dark shoulder Northern Harrier (Sep, Oct) patches and wrist “comma” on underwing. •‘Flappy,’ Usually alone. Adult male is gray with loose light underparts and black wing tips. Rough-legged Hawk (Oct, Nov) jointed Female and immature are brown. All Large, black band on tail, distinctive black ages have vividly white rump. Wings wrist spots. “Flappier” than other common •Long, narrow often held in a dihedral. In migration buteos. Wings often held in a slight wings and tail flaps more and flies higher than when dihedral (V-shape). Dark-morph birds lack hunting. diagnostic tail and underwing patterns.

OSPREY VULTURE •Large Osprey (Aug, Sep) •Large Turkey Vulture (Sep, Oct) Usually alone or in pairs. Often confused Common. Distinctive dihedral with a •Glides & soars •“Tippy” “tippy” flight. Rarely flaps. Two-toned with gulls because of their shape. Distinc- rocking flight in an ‘M’ shape tive M-shaped wings from below and in black and gray under wing. Adults have a red head and immatures dark gray. •Little flapping profile. Dark back. White head (“headlight”) •Appears and breast visible at a great distance. headless