High Park Hawk Watch Guide

Expected Species

The species listed below are seen during fall migration from Hawk Hill (with time windows):

• Turkey Vulture (Sep 22 - Oct 31)
• Osprey (Sep 1 - Sep 30)
• Bald Eagle (Sep 1 - Oct 14)
• Northern Harrier (Sep 8 - Oct 31)
• Sharp-shinned Hawk (Sep 8 - Oct 21)
• Cooper's Hawk (Sep 1 - Oct 21)
• American Goshawk (Oct 1 - Nov 14)
• Red-shouldered Hawk (Sep 15 - Nov 1)
• Broad-winged Hawk (Sep 1 -Sep 30)
• Red-tailed Hawk (Sep 22 - Nov 21)
• Rough-legged Hawk (Oct 22 - Nov 21)
• Golden Eagle (Oct 8 - Nov 7)
• American Kestrel (Sep 8 - Oct 21)
• Merlin (Sep 8 - Sep 30)
• Peregrine Falcon (Sep 8 - Oct 31)

Average Number of Birds Per Hour

Check out the full data table here.

Best Conditions

Days with steady north winds and partial cloudiness will usually lead to the most migrating raptors.

The most activity is often between 11am-2pm.

The map below gives the current wind forecast for part of Southern Ontario. If the wind in Toronto and eastward along the lakeshore is from the north, migrating raptors will be blown toward Lake Ontario and fly along the shore.

The following table lists the average number of birds per hour based on the wind direction for each month.

Other Migrants

Hawk Hill is a great location to view more than just migrating raptors, many other species have been seen flying over:

• Blue Jays, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds & Common Grackles by the hundreds
• Common & Red-throated Loons
• Sandhill Cranes
• Brant, Snow Geese & other waterfowl
• Horned Larks & Snow Buntings
• Purple Finches
• Eastern Bluebirds
• American Pipits
• Rusty Blackbirds & Eastern Meadolarks
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Evening & Pine Grosbeaks
• Red & White-winged Crossbills
• Wilson's Snipe, Stilt Sandpiper & other shorebirds
• Nothern Shrike
• Short-eared Owl
• Butterflies & Dragonflies

Location

The High Park Hawk Watch takes place at Hawk Hill, located just North of the parking lot for the Grenadier Cafe. There are several unpaved, slightly inclined footpaths to the viewing area.

HMANA Page for High Park

Browse all of the Hawk Count data on the HMANA Hawk Count Site for High Park.

Recommended Raptor ID Resources

Time at Hawk Hill - many knowledgable hawk watchers who are happy to share their knowledge paired with seeing the birds in flight is the best way to learn! Here are some other recommended resources for learning about raptor identification.

Books - Available at Toronto Public Library

• Hawks at a Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors by Jerry Liguori
• Hawks from Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors In Flight by Jerry Liguori
• Hawks in Flight: The Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors by Clay Sutton, David Allen Sibley, and Pete Dunne

Web

• Ron Pittaway's Fall Hawkwatching Guide

Apps

• Raptor ID by HawkWatch International