Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

What Hawks were counted today?

For over 40 years, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) has been a program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in cooperation with the National Park Service.

Our mission is to inspire the preservation of California raptor populations. The GGRO was formed in the early 1980s to track the Golden Gate migration, an annual flight of tens of thousands of hawks, eagles, falcons, and vultures, birds collectively called “raptors.” With the help of over 150 volunteer community scientists annually, we conduct long-term studies of the seasonal movements of birds of prey along the Pacific Coast, particularly over the Marin Headlands, to further the understanding and preservation of raptor populations.

What's new?

• GGRO Season Summary 2023

• Pacific Raptor 44, an annual publication of the GGRO

• Sign up for our revamped newsletter: The Raptor Passage Quarterly

• New publication on Fall migration of radio-tagged Broad-winged Hawks in California

• See a snapshot of our impact on raptor science and conservation

OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

• Hawkwatch

• Banding

OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS

• Weekend Hawk Talks

• Migratory Story

OUR DATA COLLECTION

Raptors encountered at GGRO provide an invaluable opportunity to further our understanding of raptor ecology, physiology, and conservation status. Through collaborative opportunities, we look to: explore population status and trends and basic raptor ecology, better define the populations that migrate through the Golden Gate, and increase our knowledge of raptor health and the effects of stressors at both individual and population levels. 

• Daily Hawk Count

• Species Trends

• Band Recoveries

• Raptor Tracking

• Research and Publications

who we are

With just 3 full-time staff managing our operations, volunteer community scientists are the backbone of GGRO's data collection and monitoring. Each year, GGRO field operations are supported by approximately 5 seasonal interns and more than 250 volunteers.  

• Rose Fielding, GGRO Hawkwatch Manager

Thank you to Cellular Tracking Technologies for supporting GGRO's satellite tracking work.