Raptors to migrate over Straits of Mackinac this spring: Witness a natural phenomenon
The Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch (MSRW) is hosting several events to celebrate the migration of these birds of prey, which include hawks, eagles, owls and vultures. The migration typically occurs from early March to early June.
MSRW conducts research to support raptor conservation and aims to inspire people about these majestic creatures. The group comprises scientists, birders and conservationists in the Straits region.
Scott Davis, executive director of MSRW, said migrating raptors often fly along the east or west side of Michigan's Lower Peninsula to reach northern breeding grounds. The Straits serve as a choke point, as these birds prefer to see land on the other side of a body of water. Their crossing is weather-dependent, with sunny weather creating rising thermals over the land that the birds ride across the Straits.
'It's a natural phenomenon that gives you goosebumps,' Davis said. 'When you see this, it's a repeat of what has happened for thousands of years.'
MSRW has hired a professional bird counter to collect data that is fed into a national database. The birds are identified by species and number. A raptor naturalist, Sarah Reding, has also been hired to help people identify birds and answer questions. She will be available at count sites during nice weekends from the end of March through May.
There are two count sites, both off Central Avenue in Mackinaw City. The primary site is behind the Mackinaw City Recreation Complex, near the baseball field. The secondary site is a gravel pit/field about one mile west of the Recreation Complex on the south side of Central Avenue. A Hawk Watch sign marks the location to turn off West Central Avenue.
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MSRW has organized several specialty weekends to celebrate the migration of different species.
Golden Eagle Weekend is set for March 15-16, with the optimum watch time from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. MSRW holds the nationwide record for the largest seasonal count of golden eagles seen east of the Mississippi, with 381 counted in 2024.
Red-Tailed Hawk Weekend is scheduled for April 12-13, also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In 2019, MSRW set the nationwide record for the largest seasonal count of red-tailed hawks, with 22,420 migrating through the Straits.
Broad-winged Bonanza Weekend will take place April 26-27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees can learn more from Reding.
MSRW is a program endorsed by Earth Week Plus. All programs are appropriate for all ages, free and open to the public.
For more information, go to earthweekplus.org or mackinacraptorwatch.org.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch events to highlight spring migration
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