While doing some research, I found myself in need of a list of all the raptors you can see in the United States. What felt like an easy-to-Google question turned out to be quite hard to find, or was formatted in a way that made it impossible to get an answer at a glance. So […]
Raptors of the United States of America Read More »
It’s a crisp October morning at the Commissary Ridge HawkWatch. It’s your second day visiting the migration site, and the count has been slow but steady, with mostly Swainson’s Hawks rising along the ridge lift then gliding south. You’re scanning the sky when a large silhouette appears over Wyoming Peak. A massive Golden Eagle flies
Why Are Female Raptors Bigger Than Males? Understanding Reverse Sexual Dimorphism (RSD) Read More »
Birdwatching used to mean lugging a field guide, notebook, and pair of binoculars into the woods. Now, a single phone can put decades of ornithological expertise in your pocket. From real‑time checklists to quick quizzes, the following digital birding tools help beginners and seasoned birders alike spot more species, record cleaner data, and build stronger
Spring migration is on! So, we are going back to basics, starting at ground one for IDing raptors. The first step to identifying a raptor is deciding which family group (aka raptor type) the individual belongs to. In this blog, we will not be talking about the nitty gritty of taxonomy and the genetic links
Raptor Vocab 101: Raptor Types Read More »
Accipitrines (formerly grouped as accipiters before the taxonomic divisions in 2024) are famously tough to tell apart—even giving raptor experts pause. Before we dive in, we want to drive home that sometimes it will be impossible to make a firm ID call. Leaving an ID at “accipitrine” is perfectly okay, especially when you don’t have
How to Tell Accipitrines Apart Read More »
