The 2026 Adams Farm Spring Hawk Watch began on March 9th and will continue through May 9th. The reason we start so early is that the largest raptors like Eagles, Vultures, Osprey; Rough-legged, Red-shouldered, and Red-tailed Hawks want to get to their breeding grounds (wherever that may be) to start the process of setting up territory, finding mates, and raising young. This takes more time for the larger and/or more northern nesting raptors to complete before Autumn sets in.
The results for the month of March were 295 migrating raptors. Turkey Vultures (171), Bald Eagles (16), Red-shouldered Hawks (32), Sharp-shinned Hawks (21), and Cooper’s Hawks (20) comprised most of the birds.
This is our highest count in March, and is 88 migrants more than the average of the past 3 years. We do not have data from March of 2022 as we started recording on the site on April 3rd of that year.
What to Expect in April and May:
This month will yield (84% on average) the bulk of the migrating raptors we will count. Starting in early April, Osprey really start to accelerate their push north as rivers and other waterways open up and become ice-free. On April 10th and April 14th of last year, we had consecutive high daily counts of 21 and 22 Osprey. Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles will still come through in respectable numbers, as we had a total of 41 migrating Bald Eagles in 2025. Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks will start to increase their desire to move north, and are usually a frequent sight. American Kestrels, Merlin, and an occasional Peregrine Falcon also migrate in moderate numbers this month through our site. Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks still come through in smaller numbers.
The biggest wild card in April is the Broad-winged Hawk. These common woodland hawks of eastern North America and Canada undergo a long journey from the neotropics of Central and South America. They can travel in large numbers along favored routes and start arriving in Massachusetts early to mid April. These incredible raptors comprise roughly 75% of our total numbers annually. On April 17th, 2024, the Adams Farm Hawk Watch witnessed the 4th largest Spring “Broadwing” flight ever recorded in the State with 683 birds! This resulted in our largest ever daily count of 707 migrating raptors. Other big days of “Broad-wings” include April 18, 2023 with 561, and April 24, 2023 with 534. The most ideal conditions for a good flight to materialize seem to be fair conditions with light westerly winds.
Peak Migration Forecast: April 10-24th
From the dates, information, and numbers that I’ve described; April 10-24th would be the best time to observe for both a variety of species, and for the highest volume of raptors passing over and around Adams Farm. Most of these are mature, breeding adults. The further along we get into May and in some cases June, the more likely you will encounter immature birds that are not breeding. They may be returning to where they were raised, or just wandering about. Don’t miss a chance to witness this spectacular event this spring! Follow the results on our database at Hawkcount.org as well as the results of other hawk watch sites from North America.
Mark D. Morris
Site Coordinator
Eastern Mass Hawk Watch Member
Athol Bird and Nature Club Member