Raptor Club: Fall Hawk Identification with Josh Haas

Raptors in flight and migration bring a sense of wonder and struggle to birders, especially when it comes to identifying them at a distance.  Field marks are not enough when back-lit conditions and birds miles out lack any color.  Flight ID has long been the best way to identify raptors at a distance, however books only take it so far.  Join hawk watcher Josh Haas as he shares the principles of how raptors migrate so efficiently, a look at some of the famed hawk watches east of the Mississippi, the evolution of raptor ID and see clips from his movie “Hawks on the Wing."  This movie brings an innovative new way to learning raptors in flight.

Please meet in the Goldfinch Room at the Loess Hills Lodge.

To attend this event virtually, registration is required. Please click here to save your spot today!

Can't make it? Josh Haas is also hosting a free online HMANA Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, October 19th at 11 a.m. Central. Click here to register for this HMANA event on October 19th.

About Raptor Club: Are you looking to expand your bird and raptor knowledge, start a new hobby, or connect with curious minds like yourself? Then join Hitchcock Nature Center's new Raptor Club! Led by local and national experts, hands-on learning opportunities, spend quality time outdoors, and great for all experience levels. Hitchcock Nature Center has been a HawkWatch site since 1991 and our volunteers play a vital role in monitoring populations and fall migration patterns every year. Learn more about Hitchcock HawkWatch today and fill out our volunteer application or email Dana Kruse for more information about joining.

Speaker Bio: Josh Haas is a Michigan birder, photographer and Vice Chair for the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) board.  He has been birding and photographing seriously for over 17 years with a passion for teaching others ID, birding by ear and photographing birds in flight.  His photographic background and involvement with raptors at local nature centers as well as raptor migration sites spawned his movie “Hawks on the Wing” teaching viewers raptor ID in flight through the use of video and audio commentary; including multiple species on screen side-by-side.  His movie, reference guide, information about hawk-watching as well as galleries with his finest images are all available at www.hawksonthewing.com.  Josh’s passion started with raptors but he can be found birding and photographing in all seasons, often with his wife, daughter and son.

Suggested Readings: Hawks in Flight (Pete Dunne, David Sibley and Clay Sutton), Hawks at a Distance (Jerry Liguori)