Glacier will hold Hawk Watch training sessions

Hungry Horse News

Glacier National Park will host volunteer training for its annual Hawk Watch program on August 27 and September 23.

The training session on Aug. 27 will run from noon to 5 p.m. in West Glacier. Trainings will provide an in-depth introduction to raptor ecology, identification, migration and teach volunteers how to conduct migration counts at both the Lake McDonald and Mount Brown Hawk Watch sites during the months of September and October.  

 Once trained, volunteers can hike to an observation point and count migrating raptors just below Mount Brown Lookout, alongside trained raptor migration counters. This is a hike of about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) one-way (about 9 miles roundtrip) with an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet.  

The Sept. 23 training will be an in-the-field training day for volunteers interested in participating in the Lake McDonald Lodge Hawk Watch during the end of September through October. This field training will take place from noon to 4 p.m. in Jammer Joe’s parking lot adjacent to Lake McDonald Lodge.  

 To join the Hawk Watch Team, participants will learn from park biologists on how to identify and count migrating raptors. Park biologists will answer questions and share information about the integral role of raptors in our ecosystems, risks they face, and why Glacier started the Mount Brown Hawk Watch Program.  

 Volunteers interested in registering for either or both training days should email the Glacier Citizen Science Office, GLAC_citizen_science@nps.gov, for additional details.

Each year in the fall, golden eagles migrate from northern breeding grounds to warmer climates. One of the most important North American golden eagle migration routes passes directly through Glacier National Park. Large numbers of other raptors also use this migration corridor during the fall and spring months.  

 In the mid-1990s biologists documented nearly 2,000 golden eagles migrating past Mount Brown annually. Recent data from outside Glacier National Park indicate significant declines in golden eagle numbers. Due to this concern, the park initiated a Citizen Science Raptor Migration Project in 2011 to investigate possible locations for a Hawk Watch site.  

Hawk Watch sites are part of an international effort to track long-term raptor population trends using systematic migrating raptor counts. Observers also record data on sex, age, color morph and behavior of raptors, as well as weather and environmental conditions. To see a map of Hawk Watch sites around the world go to www.hawkcount.org.

 Funding for the Mount Brown Hawk Watch program is provided by the National Park Service, Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates, and Glacier National Park Conservancy. The Northwest Montana Lookout Association assisted with Mount Brown lookout refurbishments. For more information about the Mount Brown Hawk Watch program, contact park staff via email at GLAC_citizen_science@nps.gov or call (406) 888-7986.