Every fall, hawks, falcons and eagles funnel over the Marin Headlands on their way south, and a team of volunteers counts them from Hawk Hill. The window is still open: the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory's season runs from mid-August to early December.
Who does the counting
The observatory is a community science program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, run with the National Park Service, with about 150 volunteers and a small staff. It monitors the Pacific raptor flyway from Hawk Hill in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Follow along
The Conservancy posts daily raptor totals on its Daily Hawk Count page during the season. The data is preliminary.
What last year looked like
The 2025 season summary describes fog, icy wind and a six-week federal funding lapse that paused data collection. Highlights included Rough-legged Hawks at eye level, big flights of Broad-winged Hawks and a range of Red-tailed Hawk color morphs.
Visiting
Hawk Hill is reached via Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands. Bring layers and binoculars; the wind on the hill can be strong. The Conservancy says its public Hawk Talks and raptor releases are on hiatus.