One of millions of migrating of Turkey Vultures that are being documented across North America from Canada to Panama. Photo by Paul Konrad

Early November provides exceptional fall migration of Turkey Vultures across parts of the United States and through Central America. Dominating counts of almost a quarter million Turkey Vultures is Cerro Ancon, on the Pacific edge of Panama City – we’re talking vulture city during early November. In addition, Swainson’s Hawks and Broad-wings pass overhead by the tens of thousands – Wow!

To provide an idea of the streams of migrating vultures passing over Cerro Ancon – and Panama City – the totals from a few exceptional days when tallies topped 100,000 Turkey Vultures included November 1 with 142,418; November 2 with 245,012; and November 8 with 160,937! Cerra Ancon doesn’t have the great variety that some other migration count sites can boast, but their numbers of Turkey Vultures, Swainson’s Hawks and Broad-winged Hawks are especially exciting!

Another count location in Panama, Semiphore Hill, which is also known as the Canopy Tower, had a super high count of 299,862 Turkey Vultures on November 5th. Unfortunately, this is the only count reported for this site during November, and the counter noted that although thousands more Turkey Vultures, Swainson’s Hawks and Broad-winged Hawks were migrating overhead, he had to end the count prematurely due to heavy rain. Located in Soberania National Park, east of the Panama Canal near the Continental Divide in central Panama, this appears to be another exceptional location to watch for migrating vultures and raptors. We hope to hear more from this interesting count site in the future.

The Isthmus of Panama is a natural flyway over the narrow land bridge connecting North and South America. A majority of Turkey Vultures, Broad-winged Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Mississippi Kites and Plumbeous Kites migrate through Panama, making Panama a very important nation along the flyway with more than three million raptors counted as they pass by every fall and spring. http://www.canopytower.com/

Veracruz, Mexico is certainly the other big Turkey Vulture hotspot during fall migration. Closer to home, it’s late in the season but it’s worth checking out the counts at Corpus Christi, Texas too.

To review daily counts from Cerra Ancon, Veracruz (2 sites), Corpus Christi and other migration hotspots, refer to https://www.hawkcount.org/ and for a look at the Canopy Tower count site, see http://www.canopytower.com/