If you’re looking for a count site that is easy to get to, look no further than the Grand Canyon HawkWatch. While the HawkWatch itself requires a brief walk across an uneven surface, the Yaki Point viewpoint is ADA accessible. The Grand Canyon HawkWatch crew also delivers scheduled, short programs at the bus drop-off area from mid-September to late October. That means there’s truly a way for everyone to experience the magic of migration at the Grand Canyon. You can find the schedule on the national park website. A wonder of the world, paired with the wonder of raptor migration—what could be better?
Whitney Maxfield
Whitney Maxfield is a recent Biology graduate from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not out in the field, she loves birdwatching and capturing wildlife through her camera lens. Over the years, Whitney has rehabilitated raptors at the Bird Alliance of Oregon, searched for endangered toads in Utah’s high-altitude wetlands, tracked urban Bushtit nests in Portland, Oregon, and helped with a satellite telemetry project on Green Sea Turtles in Florida. She is thrilled to be sharing her love for birds with visitors at the Grand Canyon (especially while keeping an eye out for a California Condor during hawkwatches!). More than anything, Whitney can’t wait to connect with visitors and fellow bird lovers, and hopefully inspire them to join in protecting these incredible species.
Michaela LaPlante
An Arizona local, Michaela has a bachelor’s in Biology from Northern Arizona University and a master’s from University College Cork in Ireland. Her most recent fieldwork experience was conducting American Goshawk occupancy surveys in the lovely Sierra Nevadas. She has worked in Europe banding passerines during their spring migration and is feeling lucky to participate in another migration event as a hawkwatcher. She is looking forward to connecting with the Grand Canyon HawkWatch visitors and seeing raptors from the top of the rim. Her favorite raptor is the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Her non-bird-related hobbies include rock climbing and cooking tasty meals.
Connor O’Brien
Connor is excited to spend his first season hawkwatching in the beautiful Grand Canyon. He is originally from Seattle and graduated from Eckerd College in 2024 with high honors. He has previously worked with a variety of species, from nesting Least Terns in Florida to most recently working with Spotted and Flammulated Owls in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. His hobbies include photography, hiking, camping, and, of course, searching for birds and other wildlife. His favorite raptor is the Ornate Hawk Eagle.
If you need help planning your trip or are curious about how the count is going during the season, join our “Friends of Grand Canyon HawkWatch” Facebook group! There, you can chat directly with our crew and other bird nerds excited about the fall count.
Thank you to our partners at the National Park Service and Grand Canyon Conservancy for their support of the important long-term work conducted at the site. You can play a role in raptor conservation, too. Click here to invest in the future of the migration network: https://hawkwatch.org/supportmigration/
This blog was written by Sammy Riccio, our Communications Manager, as well as our 2025 crewmembers. You can learn more about Sammy here.
