Hawk Mania 2018

Every fall thousands of hawks, eagles, kites, and falcons migrate through the Florida Keys, a phenomenon that is surprisingly easy to miss.

“Mid-October is the best time to see raptors moving through the Florida Keys. It drives me crazy how many people don’t get to see this amazing parade of wildlife. This event is just a great chance to show these birds to people,” said Florida Keys Audubon Society executive director Mark Hedden.

October 12 and 13 will be the FKAS’s fourth annual Hawk Mania.

The two main events will be the keynote on Friday, which will be a curated conversation between raptor experts Rafael Galvez, Jeff Bouton and Mark Hedden, held at the Key West Garden Club on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. The three will also lead an all day Hawkwatch on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Fort Zachary Taylor state park.

“During the fall we are positioned in a unique place along the Atlantic migratory flyway to see all these birds before they leave the continent. They head towards the Caribbean and South America, and it’s just beautiful. Sometimes you see thousands of birds in a day,” said Rafael Galvez, director of the Florida Keys Hawkwatch.

More Peregrine Falcons pass through the Keys than anywhere else on the planet.

“Hurricane Irma kind of knocked us out for last year. So it’s been almost to years without hearing the stories from the remarkable fall raptor migration through the Keys. So I’m really excited for this year’s event,” said Jeff Bouton of Leica Sport Optics.

The hawkwatch will take place in the field at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Look for the white tent.

“This is a chance to have really good looks at migrating raptors. I can almost guarantee you will see a Peregrine Falcon if you stick around for 20 minutes,” said Hedden.

Rafael Galvez is the director of the Florida Keys Hawkwatch. He is also a highly accomplished wildlife artists who specializes in painting birds, as well as an international tour guide for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours. In a pinch he has been know to draw pictures of rare birds with make up pencils found at a convenience store.

Jeff Bouton is Manager of Birding and Nature Markets at Leica Sport Optics. He has worked as a bird bander, a hawk counter, a birding guide, and a field researcher all over the United States. He has led a team of competitive birdwatchers through Israel, and has sought out rare and beautiful birds pretty much anywhere you can point to on a map.

Mark Hedden is Executive Director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society. He has been involved with the project in various capacities — including as a hawk counter and a hawk bander — since 2003. He has written and reported about wildlife for publications such as Birdwatching, Birdwatcher’s Digest, the Miami Herald, Roads & Kingdoms, the Key West Citizen, and WLRN public radio.

There will also be several satellite events. On Saturday 9:30 a.m. Dr. Mark Whiteside will lead a songbird walk at Fort Zach. At 10:30 there will be a special Hawks for Kids program, which is scheduled to include a visit from Augie the Broad-winged Hawk from the Key West Wildlife Center. At 11:00 Amy Grimm and Leigh Williams will lead a Keys butterflies walk within the park.

All events are free and open to anyone interested. There is a fee to enter Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.

For more information please visit www.keysaudubon.org, email [email protected], or call 305-771-5807.