I flew down to Veracruz, Mexico this past Saturday to participate in a bird watching tour. A few months ago, when I was attending the Southwest Wings Birding Festival in Sierra Vista, I met a bird guide who was promoting his birding tour to Veracruz. Needless to say, I signed up!
Over the last few days, I have had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have been witnessing what is referred to as the “River of Raptors”. Millions of raptors that breed in Canada, North America, and northern Mexico pass through the state of Veracruz, as they make their way to their wintering grounds in southern Mexico, Central America, and South America.
The word “raptor” refers to birds of prey and includes eagles, hawks, falcons, kites, vultures and owls. In addition to many species of raptors, other large, broad-winged birds also migrate during the day and pass-through Veracruz, including American white pelicans, wood storks, and anhingas.
Words are not adequate to describe what I have witnessed. To put into context the number of birds of prey migrating over the state of Veracruz I have taken information from a brochure produced by Pronatura Veracruz.
It is estimated that between August 20th and November 20th, more than 1.7 million turkey vultures, 1.5 million broad-winged hawks, 400,00 Swainson’s hawks, 300,000 Mississippi kites, 5,000 kestrels, 2,500 sharp-shinned hawks, 1,000 Cooper’s hawks, 1,000 osprey, and 500 peregrine falcons fly over a narrow stretch of land here in Veracruz.
There are two counting stations, one is on top of an old hotel in the middle of a small city called Cardel. The other location, Chichicaxtle, is about 7 miles north of Cardel. Employees of Hawk Watch International man the counting stations, and many visitors, like myself, come from all over the world to witness the spectacle.
In one day, on Monday of this week, an astronomical number of birds of prey flew over—157,547 at Cardel and 70,369 at Chichicaxtle. The amazing thing is, I was there to see it!! The sheer quantity of birds flying overhead is a sight to below. Oftentimes they are flying so high, and so far away, that with the naked eye, you can’t even see them. However, when you use binoculars, you see this massive swarm of birds of prey both kettling and streaming.
Kettling is an expression to describe how broad-winged birds, that migrate during the day, use columns of warm-rising air (thermals) to gain altitude. At some point they reach an altitude where the thermal is no longer taking them higher, so they start flying out of the thermal, or streaming in a straight line as they move south.
As the birds of prey go streaming by, it looks like a river of raptors in the sky. As far as my eyes could see with the aide of binoculars, I saw thousands and thousands of birds of prey on the move for hours on end. It is truly one of the great wonders of the natural world. I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced anything quite like it in all of my years of birding.
So far, in the last four days I have seen the following twenty-two bird of prey species; black vulture, turkey vulture, swallow-tailed kite, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, Mississippi kite, crane hawk, common black hawk, roadside hawk, gray hawk, broad-winged hawk, short-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, zone-tailed hawk, laughing falcon, crested caracara, American kestrel, merlin, aplomado falcon, bat falcon and peregrine falcon.
On a different note, our Wild Bird Photography Contest exhibit is now open to the public for your enjoyment. I invite you to come cast your vote for your top four favorite entries.
Until next week, Happy Birding!
Eric Moore is the owner of The Lookout, in Prescott, where you will find a Hallmark Gold Crown Store, wild bird products, and Swarovski and Vortex optics. Eric has been an avid birder for over 55 years. Eric can be contacted at eric@thelookoutaz.com.
