Texas Birds of Prey Migration

Kettle of Hawks

Here at home October is a month of change. One can often feel a hint of the cold to come later in the year. The animals also feel the change and many start their winter migrations to warmer zones. Hawks, falcons and other raptors come through Central Texas in large numbers on their trip south. I have seen kettles of Broad wings that numbered in the hundreds and quite a few Kestrels and Red Tailed hawks in the air winging their way down. I have also noticed quite a few Sharp Shinned and Coopers hawks in the crowd this year. Others have reported seeing Marlins and Peregrines also headed to the coast where they will feed up on birds for a few days before heading to South America.
If you enjoy watching birds you will love hawk watching. There are many different kinds and some such as Red Tailed hawks have so many variations of species that I do not believe I will ever learn them or be able to identify them all. All one needs is a guide book and some decent binoculars to watch the parade. I find I need at least eight power glass and would recommend a 40mm objective lens for light gathering. You can watch for hawks wherever you are and see quite a few as they pass through. There are several places where they stack up on the way south and you are able to see large numbers and kinds of raptors. Two of the best places in the world are the Texas Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande Valley to observe raptors and other birds. My favorite is Padre Island National Seashore. On the beaches I have seen Sharp Shinned and Coopers hawks, Peregrines and Merlin falcons, Kestrels, Red Tailed hawks, White-tailed hawks and on one special day an Aplomado falcon.
I have listed a few of the Raptor Guide Books I like in my Amazon favorites. Good Hawk viewing, Wild Ed

Harris Hawk

Red Tailed Hawk

Marsh Hawk

Red Tailed Hawk