Dear Hawk Ridge Friends,
We hope you've had great start to the year! A special thanks to all those that helped support Hawk Ridge in 2024 - you can read our highlights HERE. It has been an exciting winter with the beautiful owl irruption here in Northern Minnesota. Visitors from throughout the world have enjoyed magnificent views of several owl species. Find out more below from one of our Naturalists on this phenomenon. Even though we're still enduring freezing temps and snow, our West Skyline Spring Count is just around the corner beginning on March 1st. We invite you to come out and visit us (click HERE for directions) and/or follow along live via HawkCount HERE for raptors and for our full bird count via Trektellen HERE.
P.S. If you missed our last e-newsletter, you can view that and older versions by clicking HERE. Keep up with recent news by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 1 - May 31, 2025
2025 marks the 8th consecutive, full spring season of bird migration monitoring research at the West Skyline Spring Count in Duluth, MN! This is one of the premier spring bird migration sites in North America with record numbers of Bald and Golden Eagles, as well as other raptor species. The spring migration count average from 2018-2024 is 24,000 raptors and thousands of other migrating birds. Over 120 different bird species were recorded in 2024! Spring migration highlights include an amazing diversity of 15-20 different raptor species, as outlined:
Peak for each species (high counts listed)
- Eagles: around March 25 (Bald: 100-500/day; Golden: 10/day)
- Rough-legged Hawks: April 10-20 (up to 75/day)
- Red-tailed Hawks: April 10-20 (1,000-2,000/day)
- Broad-winged Hawks: May 1-10 (3,000-4,000/day)
- Sharp-shinned Hawks: April 10-20 (up to 450/day)
CLICK HERE to find out more info on visiting this spring! We will have a live count feature on our home page at hawkridge.org, so you can follow along. You will also be able to view our raptor count numbers via HawkCount HERE and live full bird count via Trektellen HERE.
International Birding Tour
Birds and Wildlife of Tanzania
Tanzania is home to the world’s greatest overland animal migration and is a must-see destination for any safari enthusiast. This is a country blessed with biodiversity and unique ecosystems including wetlands, coastal forests, grassland savannas, alkaline Rift Valley lakes, and block mountain forests. With so many incredible, larger-than-life mammal species hogging the spotlight, it is easy to understand why the country’s abundant bird life is often overlooked.
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On this 15-day birding adventure we will look to uncover Tanzania’s incredible list of avian species, beyond perennial safari favorites such as Marabou Stork, Gray Crowned-Crane, African Spoonbill, Secretarybird, and Kori Bustard. Many travelers might be surprised to learn that Tanzania’s bird list exceeds 1,000 species (31 endemics) and its lands contain an impressive number of vital habitats including 80 IBAs and 4 Ramsar sites! We’ll combine the best of both worlds as we journey to national parks, reserves, and wetlands in search of birds, while also soaking up some big game viewing along the way.
Highlights:
Spend a full day birding the savannas, wetlands and forested areas of Arusha National Park, under the shadow of dormant Mt. Meru. - Discover Tarangire National Park, known for having the second largest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania, including large herds of elephants.
- Explore Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in search of ostrich, raptors, flamingos, and more.
- Search for endemics such as Fischer’s Lovebird and Karamoja Apalis among the Serengeti’s larger-than-life “Big Five” game.
- Meet with members of the Maasai community and learn about their culture and semi- nomadic lifestyle during a visit to a traditional village.
Click HERE for an Overview, Itinerary, Pricing, Travel Information, How to Enroll and Resources. *Please note space is limited and requires a minimum of 10 participants. Make a trip deposit to reserve a spot on the trip, but wait to make airline reservations and pay the full trip amount until you receive notice that the trip has reached its minimum enrollment. For more information or questions, please contact Debbie Jordan at debbie@holbrooktravel.com or 866-748-6146 or Hawk Ridge Education Director, Margie Menzies at mmenzies@hawkridge.org.
Other News
Seasonal Hosts Needed for Hawk Ridge Staff
Each spring & fall, Hawk Ridge has amazing seasonal staff, trainees, and apprentices conducting the important bird research and education programs. Many of our staff are traveling from out of state to work for or train with Hawk Ridge for 2-3 months coinciding with the magnificent bird migration. We depend on wonderful hosts to provide lodging for our seasonal staff during that time. We are so grateful to all that have helped host through the years - thank you! We've also seen many special connections built between the host family and staff. We are currently seeking staff hosts for the 2025 spring-fall seasons. If you have a spare room, rental space, or even full house that you'd consider for hosting, please contact Janelle Long, jlong@hawkridge.org or call 218-428-6209.
Lead Naturalist Position for Hire
Hawk Ridge is currently seek a full-time Lead Naturalist (Spring-Fall) 2025. This is a key education staff position to help further our mission of bird conservation through education. The Lead Naturalist works closely with our Education Director to teach a wide variety of bird education programs (both formal and informal) to all ages. Major duties also include public migration interpretation, live bird education demos, managing owl programs, and assisting with education program scheduling, development, and staffing (hiring, training, serving as team leader). The position is full-time for approx. 30 weeks from early April-early November. For more information, please contact Education Director, Margie Menzies, mmenzies@hawkridge.org or 218-428-8722. Job application and post will be live soon by clicking HERE or at hawkridge.org under About Us-Employment.
2024 Fall Research Summary Reports
Here are the links to our 2024 fall count & banding research reports:
Fall 2024 Bird Migration Count Report (raptor count totals HERE)
Fall 2024 Raptor Banding Report (raptor banding totals HERE)
NOTE: Other research & education summaries can be found in previous e-newsletters found HERE
Thank You for Your Support!
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory thanks all of our supporters. We appreciate you! As a nonprofit organization, we are primarily funded by individual gifts to put our bird migration research and education programs in action. Below are some of the ways you can help us keep sharing the magic of the bird migration!
Support Hawk Ridge by Shopping!
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Thanks to those that have been shopping our Amazon Wish List for needed supplies! You can check out our list HERE. If you're looking to purchase Hawk Ridge merchandise, you can check out some items available through our online shopping options:
Big Frog (direct ship or pick up at Duluth store)
Become A Member Today!
If you're already a member of Hawk Ridge, we sincerely appreciate your support! THANK YOU! If you're not a member and have enjoyed your experience with Hawk Ridge, we invite you to renew or join as a Hawk Ridge member today! Our memberships and donations help drive our bird conservation research and education programs. You can check out our exciting membership benefits and join or renew online HERE!
Simply Donate
You can always simply donate online by clicking HERE or by mailing a check made out to Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 3006, Duluth, MN 55803.
Thank you again for your wonderful gift of support! Hope to connect with you this fall at Hawk Ridge or feel free to reach out by email or phone!
Sincerely,
Janelle Long
Executive Director
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 3006
Duluth, MN 55803-3006
Call: 218-428-6209
Contact: mail@hawkridge.org
Visit: www.hawkridge.org
501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
Federal Tax ID 76-0746366
