The 2024 WPBO Raptor Count is drawing to an end. Although the last day of count is May 31, the four remaining days are unlikely to change the overall picture as the hawk flight significantly slowed down this week. The Sharp-shinned Hawks are almost through, with only a handful still recorded daily, and some remaining immature Broad-winged Hawks won’t make a big impact on the tally.

Overall, the 2024 count so far (17,699 raptors) is slightly lower than in spring 2022 and 2023 (18,388 and 18,141 respectively), with 1,000-2,000 less Broad-winged Hawks than in the two previous years. Sharp-shinned Hawks remained the most common species with 7,474 individuals recorded. This is within a plus-minus 500 birds compared to 2022 and 2023 (8,078 and 6,091 Sharp-shinned Hawks respectively).

More details will be provided in the end-of-season Q&A article in the Jack Pine Warbler magazine and in the final report. In the meantime, I would like to thank all followers who read my weekly blogs throughout the season!

~ Michael Patrikeev
2024 Raptor Counter

Featured photo: An immature Bald Eagle. Photo by Michael Patrikeev

You can see updates for the 2024 Raptor Count on hawkcount.org, read Michael’s weekly blog post, and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X) for raptor count highlights this season. The raptor count runs March 15 through May 31.

Michael Patrikeev, M.S., is a graduate of St. Petersburg State University (Russia) and studied diurnal birds of prey for his M.S. In later years, he worked at the Lower-Svir Nature Reserve in Russia, and then headed the wildlife inventory section at the Ecological Centre of Azerbaijan. He conducted avifaunal surveys and inventories in the latter country and published “The Birds of Azerbaijan” in 2004. Michael arrived in Canada in 1992 and has since worked for the Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Parks Canada, The Nature Conservancy, and Texas Parks and Wildlife. Michael is semi-retired and works in Canada and the United States for wildlife-related contracts. His private interests include the conservation of tropical birds and amphibians.