During the autumn months, the skies over southeast Michigan are alive with tens of thousands of hawks, eagles, falcons, and other birds of prey. The 2008 season will open a new chapter in the study of this amazing spectacle! During this transition year, Southeastern Michigan Raptor Research (SMRR) is turning over the reins to a cooperative venture between the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (DRIWR) and its Friends Group called the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance (IWRA). For information on how you can contribute, please contact Greg Norwood (DRIWR) or Lisa Appel (IWRA).
Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are one of 16 regularly occurring raptors that migrate through the lower Detroit River in fall. Photo credit: Jeff Schultz
Detroit River Hawk Watch:
- Collects systematic data on the migration of hawks, eagles, and falcons at the mouth of the Detroit River from September through November
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Inputs the data into the International HawkCount database provided by the Hawk Migration Association of North America; and
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Disseminates findings to the public and to the scientific community (through journal articles).
