Caesars Head Hawk Watch

Posted by Jeff on Sep 28, 2016 @ 1:50 pm in Conservation | 0 comments | Last modified: September 21, 2016

From early September through late November of each year, members of the Greenville County Bird Club participate in a count of migrating hawks at Caesars Head State Park. The Hawk Watch is normally manned by volunteers who call themselves “Wing Nuts.”

More than 10,000 acres of prime, mountain habitat are protected by a complex of state parks and wildlife management areas known as the Mountain Bridge Wilderness in extreme northern Greenville County, South Carolina. One of the state parks is Caesars Head. Rising 3,266 feet above the Carolina Piedmont, the Caesars Head overlook provides the most dramatic mountain view in South Carolina. Caesars Head is virtually the only place in the South Carolina mountains with the natural characteristics needed to attract thousands of migrating raptors.

These birds are on their way to Central and South America for the winter and are catching the thermals and lining up before heading out. Its not unusual to see 200 to 300 hawks at one time and the highest single day count was over 5,200 birds! You’re likely to see broad-winged hawks, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Merlin, American Kestrel, Mississippi Kite, Turkey Vulture and Black Vulture.

For more information about the Caesars Head Hawk Watch program, please contact Tim Lee, Park Interpreter, at (864) 836-6115 or by e-mail at [email protected].