Island Count- Numbers Update

It’s been a good season so far on Mackinac. While we may not be getting the numbers that are seen at the mail-land count site, a decent number of raptors seem to make use of the islands for migration. By far the most numerous species are Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks. Both season totals are so far over 1,000 birds. One main draw for the Straits are the Golden Eagles, and while I’ve seen 35 so far this season, the count should start a little earlier in the year to record more of them. I’m look forward to when the Broad-winged Hawks start coming through in flocks. Right now I have a few each day, but I’m hoping for hundreds! Here is a list of the season totals so far by species making a total bird count of 3,730.

  • Turkey Vulture: 1498
  • Osprey: 4
  • Bald Eagle: 121
  • Northern Harrier: 34
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk: 480
  • Cooper’s Hawk: 7
  • Northern Goshawk: 2
  • Red-shouldered Hawk: 53
  • Broad-winged Hawk: 12
  • Red-tailed Hawk: 1298
  • Rough-legged Hawk: 142
  • Golden Eagle: 35
  • American Kestrel: 24
  • Merlin: 10
  • Unknown: 10

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