Nature
Hawk Hill, a 923-foot peak in the Marin Headlands north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is one of the West Coast’s most important places for observing raptor migration. Each autumn, from August into December, tens of thousands of hawks, kites, falcons, eagles, vultures, osprey, and harriers pass this ridge as the shape of the Marin peninsula channels birds that avoid long flights over water. Strong onshore winds and warm late-summer thermals help sustain their flight, while protected small mammals in the park support many raptors during the season. Volunteers and the National Park Service monitor this migration through counting, bird-banding, and radio-tracking.
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