IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Nikki Price

Membership & Public Relations Coordinator

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www.hawkwatch.org
(801) 484-6808, ext. 101

DATE: March 20, 2009

HawkWatch International begins 2009 Spring Raptor Migration Research in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. Visitors are welcome!

Plus - Raptor Migration Site Brochures are released for public use. Each brochure includes species count lists, directions to the site, species check-off lists, peak migration times, and a raptor identification guide.

HawkWatch International (HWI) is pleased to announce the beginning of the 25th season of raptor migration monitoring in the Sandia Mountains, located 12 miles east of Albuquerque in New Mexico.

Birders, hikers, and nature lovers are welcome at the observation area where seasonal volunteers count the raptors during their annual migration north. The data collected helps scientists understand raptor migration ecology and population trends, as well as unearth changes in the environment. Raptors, commonly referred to as birds of prey, are good indicators of environmental health because they feed at the top of the food chain.

Pending weather changes, the project will run from February 25 through May 5. The peak of raptor migration is from mid March – mid April. From the parking areas, it’s about 2/3 of the way up the cliff face to the lookout. For further information, downloadable site brochures, or driving directions, please visit www.hawkwatch.org. Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources including: New Mexico Game and Fish – Share With Wildlife; Cibola National Forest; US Fish and Wildlife Service; and HWI members.

HawkWatch International (HWI) initiated standardized counts of the spring raptor migration through this region in 1985. To date, HWI observers have recorded 22 species of migratory raptors at the site, with counts typically ranging between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants per season.

HawkWatch International, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating 13 raptor migration research sites around Western North America, the Gulf Coast Region and Veracruz, Mexico, is helping to develop and maintain scientifically robust, long-term monitoring programs for North American raptors. HawkWatch International’s mission is to conserve the environment through education, long-term monitoring, and scientific research on raptors as indicators of ecosystem health. After investing nearly 30 years of effort, HWI is now widely recognized as a pioneer and leader in the arena of raptor migration monitoring in western North America, and is currently coordinating one of the world's most extensive networks of long-term, standardized, full-season raptor migration counts.

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