Friday's Foto

When one thinks of flocks of migrating birds, the image of numerous, small songbirds usually comes to mind. Most of us wouldn't imagine thousands of raptors traveling together, yet that is exactly what Broad-winged Hawks do every Autumn around this time. There are 51 broad-wings in this photo, but I've seen as many as 1,000 individuals in a single "kettle". This species has a wide breeding range, but beginning in late-Summer birds from across Canada and New England converge in large flocks as they head towards their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Check out the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary raptor migration map here.