For most people, the only up-close interaction they will have with raptors is when an individual is in dire straits. The spring season is when we see most human and wildlife interaction as newborn birds are just figuring out how to make their way through this big world. Let's talk…

Have you ever wondered where the name “Gunsight” comes from? The mountain our HawkWatch shares a home with has a deep half-circle dip in the peak, resembling a gunsight on a weapon. Gunsight is a relatively new name, documented by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1952. The mountain has also…

Raptors can be elusive animals to work with, and even more so when researching Endangered and understudied species. Our awardees have been hard at work playing their own game of “Where’s Waldo” with their study species. Whether it be trying to observe owls in hard-to-access field sites or getting vultures…

Welcome to the second installment in our series teaching you how to speak the language of raptor biology. In this blog, we will focus on terms relating to plumage. These terms are not specific to raptors per se but are helpful to know when talking about identifying raptor species through…

Spring is rapidly approaching, and if you are among the hundreds of people across North America who monitor nest boxes and birds that use them, like American Kestrels, the window for annual maintenance will close soon. Nest box maintenance includes ensuring boxes are securely hung and as intact as possible…

Back in June 2017, a keen, early-career raptor researcher from Australia reached out to HWI with interest in volunteering on the Migration Network. At the time, Chris MacColl worked as a threatened species biologist for Rio Tinto in Weipa, Queensland, Australia, and hoped to visit the USA in late fall to…

After careful review and support from our new sponsor, Kaddas Enterprises, we’re proud to announce that HawkWatch International (HWI) will support five researchers through our Global Raptor Research & Conservation Grant (GRRCG) in 2023. This year’s recipients will expand the grant’s reach, supporting raptor conservation in three new countries and…

If you are a frequent reader of our blogs, you likely know that eagles around the world face many challenges and human-caused threats. We’ve similarly shared concerning news about the status of Golden Eagles in the western U.S., as well as some of the tools we have been researching to…

As we welcome a new year for raptor conservation, we are thrilled to share that two new faces will join us in our mission. Sherry Liguori and Brian Logsdon bring two decades of experience in avian conservation and risk management, respectively, to the HawkWatch International Board of Directors.  Sherry Liguori,…

To improve your raptor identification skills, you must master the basics. This blog is the start of a series where we walk you through raptor vocabulary so you can better describe and understand what you are looking at when identifying a raptor. Now let's talk raptor anatomy! Note that this…