Raptorthon Date: April 23, 2025
Team G. Gateus Raptoralium returns as a group of seven that include enthusiastic hawkwatchers and raptor biologists. We are curious to see how many raptor species will show up on April 23 over the Marin Headlands! If the weather cooperates, we also hope to break our 5-species record from last year at our primary Raptorthon count location.
Besides supporting the work of Hawk Migration Association, our team would like to support research and conservation efforts for American Kestrel, which populations are experiencing continue decline.
Our raptor biologist teammate, Teresa Ely, is leading a research focuses on tracking American Kestrels throughout California, specifically focusing on overwintering birds at the Salton Sea and post fledging survival in Butte Valley using Motus tags to study their movement ecology and habitat use. This project aims to fill critical knowledge gaps on kestrel migration and wintering behavior, informing conservation strategies for this declining species.
Your contributions will help support HMANA’s HawkCount data site, the Raptor Population Index Project and Hawk Watch Fund, as well as Teresa’s American Kestrel research. Thank you for your support and generous contributions.
Team members: Teresa Ely, Allen Fish, Courtney Buechert, Denise Peck, Holly Thomas, Joan Duffield, Wing Ng
