Following the Flight Lines: A Life in Raptor Migration
Experiencing migration is one of my favorite parts of birding. Whether I’m scouring a small patch of habitat, looking over an expansive wetland, or watching the skies at a hawkwatch site, I’m always tuned in to birds from faraway places.
My interest in bird migration comes from both a severe case of wanderlust and a deep curiosity about large-scale ecology and conservation. Understanding how birds behave during migration gives us insight into protection needs across their entire range, and throughout their life cycle.
First Encounter
My first memorable experience with a migrating raptor happened in 2002, during a Field Ecology class at UC Davis. I spotted a hawk flying overhead and asked my professor what it was. Swainson’s Hawk, he told me. He said you could tell because it was light in front and dark in back on the underwing. He also shared how they migrate to Argentina and back every year.
I was impressed, but also busy with my current class assignment counting grass blades or whatnot. Still, that moment made an impression. Little did I know, five years later, I’d end up counting over 50,000 migrating Swainson’s Hawks in just two days.
Catching the Raptor Bug
While I was still at UC Davis, I got bit by the raptor bug bigtime. I quickly became immersed in the avian world. I took ornithology classes before graduating, and interned at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. I worked on Great Gray Owl studies in Yosemite, and eventually, I found myself in Veracruz, Mexico, as an official hawk counter at the largest raptor migration site in the world.
Veracruz was a crash course in tropical ecology. I saw millions of migrating birds of prey. I worked with local guides and researchers. I started to understand how conservation looks on a hemispheric scale.
Now, after 20 years, I’ve learned a lot, but migration still feels like a journey of discovery that never ends.
What We Know About Raptor Migration
Who is migrating? More than 20 species are counted migrating through the Americas.
Where are they migrating to? Most migration routes are sites dominated by flat open land and low ridgelines from Alaska to South America.
When are they migrating? Mostly in the fall and spring.
Why migrate at all? Birds that migrate take advantage of seasonal shifts in prey resources and habitat suitability. Evolutionarily speaking, the risk of migrating rewarded the intrepid and those that undertook the big journeys were rewarded with less competition from resident raptors, and year-round access to abundant prey.
How do they migrate? Raptors use thermals and ridge updrafts over land to glide long distances with minimal effort. They avoid flapping to conserve energy when traveling between their seasonal homes.
What You Can Do to Help Raptors
Understanding how birds behave during migration can be key to gaining insight into protection needs across their entire range and throughout their life cycles.
That insight only matters if we act on it. Here are a few ways to directly help raptors right where you are:
- Come to one of my talks and stay engaged with local conservation issues.
- Join the Veracruz and River of Raptors Tour to experience migration and support on-the-ground efforts.
- Donate to conservation, raptor monitoring, and rehabilitation programs.
- Avoid rodenticides and insecticides and support local bans on their use.
- Protect open space and vote for candidates who value wildlife and habitat conservation.
Join Me in Veracruz
Want to experience the largest raptor migration in the world?
Now booking: Veracruz and the River of Raptors Tour
📅 September 24 – October 2, 2026
We’ll travel to one of the most important migration bottlenecks on Earth, guided by local experts who live and bird this region year-round. Expect eye-level kettles of thousands of hawks, rivers of vultures stretching to the horizon, and a whole new sense of scale.