Event Details (U.S. National Park Service)

Fee:

Free.

Location: LAT/LONG: 36.058107, -112.083745

There is no vehicle parking at Yaki Point, so, park at the visitor center and take the Eastbound Kaibab (ORANGE) Route shuttle to Yaki Point. At Yaki Point, follow the hanging signs to the west, along the dirt footpath to the observation site. The buses come every 15 minutes.

Dates & Times

Date:

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Time:

10:00 AM

Duration:

6 hours

Type of Event

Other

Talk

Stay for a few minutes, or for an hour or two.

Description

Join Hawkwatch International interpreters at Yaki Point, for a guided raptor spotting session. Learn about raptor migration, ecology, and identification, along with HWI's ongoing research efforts. Saturday, November 5th is the final day of fall 2022 hawkwatch.

The flight path above Grand Canyon has one of the largest concentrations of migrating raptors known in the western U.S. and Canada. HWI observers have recorded 19 species of migratory raptors at count sites along the South Rim of the canyon, with around 8,000 sightings per season.

There is no vehicle parking at Yaki Point, so, park at the visitor center and take the Eastbound Kaibab (ORANGE) Route shuttle to Yaki Point. At Yaki Point, follow the hanging signs to the west, along the dirt footpath to the observation site. Buses come every 15 minutes.

What to Bring

Binoculars
Bird Field Guide
Folding chair
Water (plenty of water!)
Food/snacks
Hat and sunscreen
Sunglasses
Dress in layers (windshell, base layer, jacket, gloves, etc.)
Camera

Note: This outdoor activity is weather dependent and migration counts are not conducted in inclement weather.

Detailed instructions to find the site:

At the far western end of the shuttle bus stop, a narrow, unpaved trail leads across the rocky, uneven ground through a sparsely forested area with low desert scrub. The trail's width varies from a foot to three- to four-feet (1- to 1.2 m) wide along a gentle downward sloping surface. Caution is advised as you move along the trail across flat limestone rocks and smaller six- to eight-inch (15- to 20 cm) loose rocks strewn in the path. Note there are no railings or ropes on the platform to prevent accidental slips and falls on the loose footing, so exercise extreme caution when approaching the rim.

The trail leads 200 feet (60 m) to a wide open flat-topped mesa, 15-feet (5 m) wide by 40-feet (12 m) long. This platform is only open seasonally during the annual Hawkwatch event in the fall.

Observers count the numbers of raptors migrating through the canyon, including red-tailed, Cooper's, and sharp-shinned hawks; American kestrel and peregrine falcons; bald and golden eagles; northern harriers, turkey vultures, and osprey.

More information