Migration Time Table

	80% Passage Dates		Median Passage Date
Species	2000	1999*	2000	1999
American Kestrel	10/6- 10/27	10/2- 10/23	10/10	10/17
Broad-winged Hawk	9/25- 10/28	10/5- 10/23	10/7	10/18
Cooper's Hawk	10/1- 10/28	10/9- 10/27	10/15	10/23
Merlin	9/21- 10/22	9/26- 10/18	10/6	10/7
Northern Harrier	9/27- 11/6		10/14	10/4
Cooper's Hawk	9/20- 10/19	9/22- 10/20	10/5	10/8
Peregrine Falcon	9/27- 10/9	9/26- 10/18	10/5	10/11
Red-shouldered Hawk	9/28- 11/3		10/17
Sharp-shinned Hawk	10/6- 10/27	10/11- 10/24	10/16	10/19
Short-tailed Hawk	10/14- 11/10		10/22
Swainson's Hawk	10/27- 11/6		11/4
Turkey Vulture	10/25- 11/10		11/3

*The count in 1999 ended on October 30. The count in 2000 ended on November 13. This will be the final date for the count in all future years. 80% passage dates are not calculated for species that may have still been present in November of 1999.

August

Raptor migration in the Florida Keys starts slowly in August and continues at a less than break-neck pace until mid-September. Die-hard hawkwatchers will be rewarded with small numbers of Osprey, which may be seen migrating all throughout August. August is also the time to see scattered small flocks of magnificent Swallow-tailed Kites. In general, however, August is hotter than heck and there's not much flying. It's a good time for cleaning your binoculars and studying your field guide.

September

Around September 15th the shorebirds start to get nervous as Merlins begin to pass through the Keys. Merlins can be commonly seen hunting the mudflats or perched on the edges of small fields from now until mid-November. The migration of Merlins in the Keys is more protracted than for any other species, except perhaps the omnipresent Osprey-- whose numbers continue to grow throughout September until flights of over 100 Ospreys a day are not uncommon. The first Peregrines of the season will most likely be seen in the third week of September. The month of September is the time to see a Mississippi Kite, which is rare in the Florida Keys. Only a few are seen each September. Towards the end of the month, it is still possible to have a very slow day, spotting less than 50 birds. However, if the winds are favorable, it is also possible to see as many as 500 birds in a day. Late in September, hawkwatchers will start seeing large flights of Harriers, Sharp-shinneds, Broad-wingeds, Kestrels, Merlins, and Peregrines.

October

What the hawkwatcher in the Keys lives for, however, is October, when the temperature may dip below 80 degrees and, with any luck, you won't be struck by a Hurricane. It bears mentioning that the entirety of fall migration in the Keys takes place during peak Hurricane season. As Hurricane season 1998 clearly showed with both Georges and Mitch.... ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. Raptor migration around the time of the Hurricane is often spectacular. Perhaps the winds on the edge of the circulating storm provide favorable conditions for migration.

October is when the bulk of the birds will be seen for the season. Peak flights for the season could happen any time between October 1st and October 20th, weather depending. At this point in the season, you'll want to be out in the field all day, every day. Flights of 1,500 to 4,000 birds in a day are possible, and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Broad-winged Hawks, Turkey Vultures, and Peregrines can all be abundant.

The spectacular flights of Peregrine Falcons often occur in the first two weeks of October. During this time period Peregrines become so common in the Keys that it has to be seen to be believed. To see this many Peregrine Falcons in the sky at once, it is hard to believe that not long ago the Peregrine Falcon became extinct as a breeding bird east of the Mississippi, and that Peregrine populations were endangered throughout their range. Peregrines have come back strongly from this historic low point after the banning of the deadly pesticide DDT-- and to see the awesome migration of Peregrine Falcons in the Keys today is a testament to our potential as human beings to recognize our environmental mistakes and take decisive action for the conservation of wildlife with positive results.

October is the month to see large "kettles" of Broad-winged Hawks. Their numbers are variable and counts of anywhere from 50 to 1,000 birds a day are possible. Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers peak in the first three weeks of October as the Osprey migration finally begins to wane. Kestrels are common in October and there are usually a few evenings in the middle of the month with spectacular Kestrel flights.

During migration in the Keys, many raptors roost for the night in the Australian Pines of Boot Key-- a small island near the south edge of Marathon, just before the 7-Mile Bridge. This is a great place to visit in the evenings to see perched falcons (scan the large cellular tower just before the Boot Key bridge for Peregrines). Boot Key is also fun to visit between 9 and 10 a.m., when many soaring raptors are milling about waiting for strong thermals to form.

November

Late October and early November mark the arrival of four new species of migrating raptors to the Keys: Cooper's Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, and the Florida endemic, the Short-tailed Hawk. None of these birds are abundant during migration in the Keys, but low-meandering flocks of Swainson's Hawks are conspicuous. So are the Short-tailed Hawks who can be seen hovering in place in the wind, and then parachuting down from above into dense vegetation to surprise their avian prey. This Short-tailed Hawk was banded in late October. Early to mid-November is characterized by the gradual diminishment of the flight for nearly all species. The exception to this rule is provided by large milling groups of Turkey Vultures. Even non-birders turn their heads at the flocks of enormous, odd-looking birds that move back and forth throughout the Keys in November. There seems to be a small net southward movement for Vultures at this time, but for the most part, one is highly aware of their reluctance to commit to the large water crossing. Eventually, most of them will stop feeling their migratory restlessness and settle down for the winter in south Florida.