Hello, Adventurers! Welcome to the Coastal Expeditions blog! If you love outdoor activities such as hiking, paddling, exploring nature and learning about wildlife, you’ve come to the right place! Here on the Coastal Expeditions blog we dive deep into different habitats, excursions, conservation efforts and nature programs. To our return readers, thank you for your support! We commend you for being committed to learning. Our site is filled with interactive maps, destination guides, and educational resources. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take a look around!

Our resident Coastal Adventurer penned an account of their travels to St. Phillips Island, the bottlenose dolphins they saw along the way, and plenty more! For fellow adventurers, ‘An Adventurer’s Travel Log: St. Phillips Island,’ is the perfect resource to plan for your next excursion. We hope you’ll check out our last article after reading this one! Then, if you have time, be sure to give our article about beach and forest camping a quick read. Fall is many people’s favorite time to pull out their tents and make their homes in the forests. In our article, ‘Beach & Forest Camping,’ we detailed the differences between the two destinations and what you’ll need to bring to make the most of your trip! Use our article as a checklist for packing your camping bag!

Today, we honor the annual migration of a very special type of bird: raptors. Raptors are birds of prey which feed on smaller animals. Their name comes from the Latin word, “rapere,” or “rapio,” meaning to seize. Including the likes of hawks, eagles, falcons, and vultures—these birds are excellent hunters. What makes them special? Raptors have super-strong feet and extra-sharp talons, which they use to grasp their prey and hold on tight. Their hooked beaks act as efficient weapons for feeding. As well, raptors are consummate carnivores, with diets consisting entirely of meat. These majestic creatures find themselves on treks south each autumn. Along with the monarch butterfly, the blue whale, and the hummingbird, raptors seek warmer temperatures in the months leading up to winter. In this article, we’ll discuss the habits of raptors, including their journey southward. If you’re an avid bird watcher and are hoping to catch sight of a few raptors this fall, or if you’re a novice bird watcher and simply want to learn more about ferocious birds of prey, this article is for you!

About Raptors

The first tool raptors use to track their prey is their exceptional eyesight. Lucky humans are equipped with 20/20 vision, meaning they have visual clarity of objects placed twenty feet away. On the other hand, eagles are equipped with 20/5 vision, meaning they have the same visual clarity of objects twenty feet away as we do five feet away. An eagle can see eight times as far as a human being, which means they can spot potential prey from around two miles away! There’s a reason we use the phrase “eagle-eyed.” Similarly, another type of raptor has distance-defying eyesight. Can you guess which? That’s right! Owls. These nocturnal animals have night vision and are incredibly farsighted, meaning they can spot a mouse at midnight, no problem! This farsightedness does present a problem when objects are too close, but owls have other ways of detecting these (i.e. whiskers).

In addition to good eyesight, raptors have talons, which help them easily grip their prey. These talons are made of keratin, much like human nails, but the outer coating merely acts as a cover for the hard talon bone underneath. These talons, or claws, determine which prey a raptor is able to hunt. Owls’ long talons and short toes make them excellent hunters of small prey, such as field mice and voles. Hawks and eagles sport thick talons on their first two toes—their “power toes”—which hook onto large prey, such as waterfowl and rabbits. Falcons have relatively short talons, compared to other raptors; these razor-sharp claws disable their prey, including small birds and fish. While most raptors have a third talon with a prominent ridge which can be used for preening their feathers, the barn owl’s third talon is heavily serrated, almost like a comb!

Where do raptors live? Raptors are able to thrive in a variety of environments, from the Arctic tundra to the desert. The raptors which call South Carolina include: the American kestrel, the bald eagles, the barn owl, the broad-winged hawk, the peregrine falcon, the red-shouldered hawk, and the swallow-tailed kite. Eagles and hawks prefer to nest in high places, such as the upper branches of mature or dead trees and the rock croppings of cliffs. Often, raptors will make their homes close to their food source, whether that be a river, estuary, river, or coast.

Raptors have varying lifespans, depending on the availability of food and prevalence of predators. Given favorable circumstances, most raptors will live to the age of five or six. Bald eagles have been known to live up to twenty years in the wild. The same is true for the red-tailed hawk. Falcons are known to live up to fifteen years, while owls can expect to live ten years on average. However, most raptors will not survive their first winter. That’s one of the reasons migration is so important, as warmer temperatures provide a better opportunity for young raptors to thrive.

About Fall Migration 

Many birds will migrate twice a year: in spring and in fall. This is because birds rarely breed in the same place they spend winter. For those who have nested in what will become an inhospitable clime, a journey is necessary to ensure the survival of their brood. As well, by leaving the breeding area to return in later months, birds are actually conserving the resources of their breeding grounds. We can learn a lot about ethical consumption and conservation from birds!

How do birds know when it’s time to leave their breeding ground? Migratory birds are blessed with a great number of instinctual tools, including an internal calendar, which relies on photoperiod (i.e. the length of the day) to determine when they ought to make their trek. Likewise, they also possess an internal map, which relies on the earth’s magnetism, to guide their way. In the weeks leading up to their journey, birds acquire an extra layer of fat, which will provide energy for their incredible feat.

Not all raptors make the same journey. While some raptors travel in flocks, others make the trip solo. For example, eagles always make their migrations alone. Utilizing thermal air currents and their large wingspans, eagles coast hundreds of miles per day. Falcons and some hawks, having smaller wingspans, tend to flock together (though they are solitary hunters throughout the rest of the year). Meanwhile, honey buzzards are known to group together in flocks upwards of 200,000 strong. Certain raptors, such as male North American peregrine falcons, remain in the breeding area while the females make the trek southward.

Usually beginning in late August or early October, the raptor migration can be viewed by anyone with an interested eye. Some southern states in the United States. While many raptors use the stars to navigate and, thus, can be found traversing the night skies, raptors with larger wings spans rely on warm thermal air currents, which occur after 8 a.m. The best time to be on the lookout is after a cold front, as these prompt large movements of raptors from above the Appalachians.

The Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) is a project which tracks the migratory patterns of raptors during the spring and summer months. You can check their daily reports and highlights on an online database called the Hawk Count.

Spending an autumn afternoon raptor-watching isn’t a bad way to spend time. In fact, we can learn a lot from these fierce animals. From tenacity to sharp-eyed clarity to beauty, these birds have it all. Each with their distinctive pattern and shape, you should have no trouble identifying the wide variety of raptors! If you’re an avid birder and are hoping to see raptors and more, join us on an expedition! Check out our various offerings on our website and find which one suits your adventurous spirit! Our tours are led by knowledgeable, approachable naturalists and sea captains who are eager to answer your questions! Read up new experiences being offered by Coastal Expeditions on this blog. Until next time, readers. Get out there and explore! Adventure awaits!