Early spring raptor migration includes an abundance of Bald Eagles (photo by Paul Konrad).

Biologists at the West Skyline Hawk Count, located above the southwest shore of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, observed a record number of 1,076 migrating Bald Eagles on March 21. During the month of March, a total of 4,882 Bald Eagles were counted as they migrated northward, a big segment of the total of 5,387 raptors tallied for the month. Mean spring counts at West Skyline average about 26,000, including 20 different species of raptors.

West Skyline is the top spring raptor count location for migrating Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks. It’s also among the top five sites to view migrating Ospreys and Golden Eagles during spring. The peak spring migration periods for the most numerous migrating species are listed here:

· - Bald Eagles: around March 25 (400 to 500 per day)

- Golden Eagles: around March 25 (10 per day)

· - Red-tailed Hawks: April 10 to 20 (1,000 to 2,000 per day)

· - Rough-legged Hawks: April 10 to 20 (up to 75 per day)

· - Sharp-shinned Hawks: April 10 to 20 (up to 450 per day)

· - Broad-winged Hawks: May 1 to 10 (3,000 to 4,000 per day!)

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West Skyline Hawk Watch is the spring equivalent of the famous fall raptor count site of Hawk Ridge at Duluth. Both sites are administered and staffed by the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. To learn more, you can refer tohttps://www.hawkridge.org/

For more information about spring raptor migration at West Skyline Hawk Watch, see http://www.hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?r=on&rsite=543&go=Go+to+site

You can also check on other spring raptor count sites across North America at http://www.hawkcount.org/ (some locations in the East and South are counting large numbers of migrating vultures).