WEST GLACIER, Mont. (12 August 2024) – Glacier National Park is hosting a volunteer training for its annual Hawk Watch program on August 27 and September 23.
The Aug. 27 training will be held from noon to 5 p.m. in West Glacier. The trainings will provide an in-depth introduction to raptor ecology, identification and migration and teach volunteers how to conduct migration counts at the Lake McDonald and Mount Brown Hawk Watch sites during the months of September and October.
After training, volunteers can hike to an observation point and count migrating raptors directly below Mount Brown Lookout alongside trained raptor migration counters. This is a hike of approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) one way (about 9 miles (14.5 km) round trip) with an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet (1,220 m).
The September 23rd training is an on-site training day for volunteers who wish to participate in Hawk Watch at Lake McDonald Lodge from late September through October. This on-site training will take place from 12pm-4pm in the Jammer Joe’s parking lot next to Lake McDonald Lodge.
To join the Hawk Watch team, participants learn from park biologists how to identify and count migratory birds of prey. Park biologists answer questions and provide information about the important role of birds of prey in our ecosystems, the risks they face, and why Glacier created the Mount Brown Hawk Watch Program.
Volunteers interested in registering for one or both days of training should email the Glacier Citizen Science Office ([email protected]) for further details.
Every fall, golden eagles migrate from northern breeding grounds to warmer climes. One of the most important North American migration routes for golden eagles runs directly through Glacier National Park. Numerous other birds of prey also use this migration corridor during the fall and spring months.
In the mid-1990s, biologists documented nearly 2,000 golden eagles passing by Mount Brown each year. Recent data outside Glacier National Park indicate a significant decline in golden eagle numbers. As a result, the park launched a Citizen Science Raptor Migration Project in 2011 to investigate potential locations for a hawk watch station.
Hawk Watch sites are part of an international initiative to track long-term population trends of birds of prey by systematically counting migratory birds of prey. Observers also record data on the sex, age, colour morph and behaviour of the raptors, as well as weather and environmental conditions. A map of Hawk Watch sites around the world can be found at 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 helped renovate the Mount Brown lookout. For more information about the Mount Brown Hawk Watch program, contact park staff by email at [email protected] or by phone at (406) 888-7986.
