Hawk Migration in Northeast Ohio

Posted March 23, 2017

By John Pogacnik, Biologist

When birds migrate through Northeast Ohio they eventually run into a huge barrier--Lake Erie. Most land birds avoid crossing the open lake. The open waters of the lake don't afford any protection in case of a predator or a change in weather conditions. This is really a bonus for birders as birds heading north bunch up along the lakeshore and either follow it to the east or west, so we see a lot more birds. This is why we often see large flocks of birds flying right along the lake in the spring as long as there is a south wind--which makes for great birding. But, the wind giveth and the wind taketh away. If winds switch to the north, migration typically comes to a screeching halt.

A great hawk migration needs two things: south winds and sunshine. In Northeast Ohio, hawk migration can be tricky. Along the lake we need a fairly strong south wind to keep the migration going. A day with a light to moderately light south wind will usually switch to the north by 10:00 or 11:00 am because the waters of Lake Erie are colder than the temperature over land. The air rises over land as it is warmed. The wind blows it over Lake Erie where it cools down and descends. The winds then blow it from off the lake to the shoreline, which is why it may be 70 degrees inland and only 50 degrees along the lakeshore. Hawks typically migrate during the late morning into the afternoon. If the wind switches north, they either stop or move further inland.

Sunshine is another important part of hawk migration. Sunshine creates thermals and hawks use thermals to migrate. Thermals are basically pockets of warm air rising as the ground is heated by the sun. Hawks will rise in the thermals, circling slowly upward. When they reach the top of the thermal, they soar along until they hit the next thermal and the process repeats itself.

Different species of hawks migrate at different times of the spring. Many time their migration to coincide with available prey. Sharp-shinned hawks typically migrate from the middle of April into May when the most songbirds migrate. Peregrine falcons often migrate when shorebirds migrate. The last half of March is best for migrating red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks. Occasional Cooper’s, rough-legged hawks, northern harriers, and bald eagles can be found. Early April sees a lot of red-tailed hawks and the hawks previously mentioned. As the month progresses, we see more sharp-shinned hawks and ospreys. By mid-April, broad-winged hawks migrate. If weather conditions are right, it is possible to see groups of numbering in the hundreds and sometimes the thousands.

If we watch for hawks here, the most common bird we often see is not a hawk, but the turkey vulture. Turkey vultures are identified by their two toned black wings held in a v-shape, or dihedral. Turkey vultures have increased greatly over the last 30 years. One popular site for birding is Derby Hill in New York. In 1979, less than 100 turkey vultures were counted there. Now, they see more than 20,000 a year as vultures have extended their range northward. At the same site, bald eagles have increased from a handful in 1979 to more than 600 a season.

If you can time your visit to the right weather, it is possible to see more than 1,000 hawks and vultures moving along the shoreline in Lake County. On a good day, the shoreline of Lake Erie can rival some of the best hawk-watching sites in North America. Lake Erie Bluffs is a great place for watching migrating hawks as are other lakefront parks including Arcola Creek Park, Lakeshore Reservation and Painesville Township Park.

The birding forecast

Northeast Ohio's recent weater hasn't been favorable for migration. Starting this Friday (March 24), we should see a big improvement as an extended period of above normal weather is predicted. Birds to look for are common loon, great blue heron, Wilson’s snipe, pectoral sandpiper, yellow-bellied sapsucker, hermit thrush, song sparrows, field sparrows and chipping sparrows.

If we get south winds and some sunny weather, look for a big push of hawks and vultures. Watch the lake for grebes and loons. Recently, most of the waterfowl on the lake have been red-breasted mergansers, but watch for other species. Pay attention to migrating gulls, as Iceland gulls and glaucous gulls are heading north.

Bird sightings

Although our recent weather hasn't been migration friendly, some new birds have been seen. Horned grebes have been showing up along Lake Erie and in the larger inland lakes. Wood ducks can be found in a lot of their traditional breeding sites. Songbirds have included winter wrens, eastern towhees and fox sparrows.