Rough-legged Hawks provide memorable observations during Winter Raptor Surveys (photo by Paul Konrad).

Wintering populations of birds of prey offer exciting birding opportunities across much of the United States, and now we can monitor the Winter Raptor Surveys conducted by raptor enthusiasts to collect winter numbers, distribution, species diversity, and other insights. Utilizing motor vehicles, observers follow standardized survey methods as provided by the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) within designated survey areas to provide valuable information to researchers, land management and planning agencies, and regional birding organizations.

It’s interesting to review the results of different surveys, especially on a west-east basis to see the differences, variety, and numbers of raptors observed. Give it a try at https://wrs.hmana.org/public_html/index.php

Scroll down to see a list of the most recent surveys, and click on [View] to see the results of locations that interest you. A favorite of ours was this Colorado survey conducted last week: https://wrs.hmana.org/public_html/survey_summary.php?action=browse&survey_id=1472 During this particular survey, conducted during windy conditions, birders counted 53 raptors, including 26 Red-tailed Hawks, 5 Ferruginous Hawks, 5 Golden Eagles, 5 Bald Eagles, 11 American Kestrels, and 1 Northern Harrier, and provided interesting information about each sighting.

A map shows all Winter Raptor Survey locations, although some sites have not been surveyed recently. For more information about conducting surveys, see Winter Raptor Survey – HMANA