Maps/Directions

Smith Point Photo Gallery

Texas Hawk Watches web site

Local Weather Forecast

Fall 2003 Technical Report
(1.0 Mb PDF Document, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or newer to view)

1999-2003 Count Results

Smith Point Hawk Watch Workshops

HawkWatch International and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (GCBO; see www.gcbo.org) teamed up during fall 1997 to begin full-season monitoring of the Gulf Coast fall raptor migration at Smith Point, which lies at the end of a peninsula that juts into Galveston Bay in southeastern Texas. For several years before 1997, local volunteers working under the auspices of the Hawk Migration Association of North America had conducted limited counts at the site, which clearly indicated that the migration through the area was substantial. Full-season counts have since ranged between 25,000-115,000 migrants of up to 23 species, with Broad-winged Hawks comprising 60-80% of the total. Other abundant species include Mississippi Kites, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, and American Kestrels. The site is located in the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area administered by Texas Parks and Wildlife. Observers work from atop a 20-ft. tower situated at the southwestern tip of the Smith Point peninsula. The season runs from 15 August to 15 November each year.

The Smith Point count monitors long-term trends in populations of raptors using the Gulf Coast Flyway. In 2003, HWI conducted or co-sponsored 14 long-term standardized migration counts in 10 states and Vercruz, Mexico. The information gathered in these studies enables us to better understand the life histories, ecology, status, and conservation needs of raptor populations in North America. Because raptors are top-level predators, occupy large home ranges, inhabit most ecosystems, and are sensitive to environmental contamination and other human disturbances, they serve as important biological indicators of ecosystem health. Moreover, due to the remoteness and widespread distribution of most raptor populations, migration counts likely represent the most cost-effective and efficient method for monitoring the regional status and trends of multiple raptor species.

Funding for this project in 2003 was provided by the Houston Endowment, Trull Foundation, Reliant Energy, ConocoPhillips, BP, Fish and Wildlife Service-Texas Coastal Program, Outdoor Nature Club of Houston-Orntihology Group, and HWI and GCBO members. We are also very grateful for the continued generous donation of housing for our observers provided by Joe and Annette Whitehead and Ann Abshier & Jerry Blackstone.