Falcon watching in September at Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain, the nonprofit nature reserve of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, hosts its annual Hawk Watch throughout September, included with park admission. Visitors can witness firsthand a breathtaking aerial spectacle—the migration of thousands of raptors migrating south over the mountains toward their wintering grounds.

Guests are invited to join the mountain’s naturalists in counting and celebrating the number of passersby in the sky.

Participants can observe the migration from viewpoints on Linville Peak (across the Mile High Swinging Bridge) and the Half Moon Overlook (the first major overlook upon entering the park).

Raptors are birds of prey such as hawks, eagles, owls and vultures. The telltale signs of a raptor are sharp talons, a curved upper beak and keen eyesight. While some raptors stay in their location during the winter, most migrate south where there is more food.

Because it lies on the eastern slope of the Appalachian Mountains and its rocky peaks generate strong thermal upwelling and provide excellent visibility, Grandfather Mountain is a prime observation point for this phenomenon.

Perhaps the most spectacular sight is that of the Broad-winged Hawk, which migrates in groups of hundreds or thousands, known as Kettle-billed Hawks. These sightings are most common in the second or third week of September.

During Hawk Watch in 2015, Jesse Pope, President and CEO of Grandfather Mountain, spotted a flock of approximately 4,800 broad-winged birds flying by in less than 30 minutes, along with numerous other flocks of considerable size, totaling nearly 10,000 raptors in one day.

Grandfather Mountain is one of over 300 Hawk Watch sites officially designated by the Hawk Migration Association of North America.

Aside from providing a magnificent spectacle, Hawk Watch serves an important purpose. The annual counts from Grandfather Mountain and other sites are critical to tracking hawk populations and migration routes over time. This data is crucial for making informed land management decisions.

Counts are conducted every day in good weather (hawks do not usually fly in fog or storms) from an area inaccessible to the public. Data are published daily on HawkCount.org.

In addition, Grandfather Mountain welcomes volunteers to help with the official count. Volunteers must attend a mandatory orientation session on the second floor of the Top Shop on August 29 at 1 p.m. to participate. Registration is required. Interested parties should contact [email protected].

41 different volunteers contributed more than 700 hours of service to Hawk Watch 2023. Last year also saw the second highest number of birds of prey counted since 2008, with a total of 6,744 birds recorded.

“We are always excited to welcome guests and volunteers to participate in this remarkable month on the mountain,” said John Caveny, director of conservation and education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “This event is not only a significant research achievement, but it also showcases the many wonders of nature and the awe-inspiring moments that can be experienced in this special place.”

In addition to migration, September is a month of great change and a time when Grandfather experiences a series of seasonal changes, with the flora and fauna of the mountain transitioning from summer flora and fauna to that of autumn.

To learn more about Hawk Watch at Grandfather Mountain, visit www.grandfather.com/hawk-watch.

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation aims to inspire conservation through education, research and role modeling. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.

Photo: Broad-winged Hawks_Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: