2025 AWF Grant Update: Jewel Basin Hawk Watch
Each year, the Audubon Wildlife Fund supports research and other projects that directly benefit birds and wildlife in Montana. We recently checked in with the 2025 Audubon Wildlife Fund Grant recipients, and are excited to share these updates on their research and projects.
Grant recipient
Flathead Audubon
Project
Supporting the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch, a long-term annual raptor monitoring effort of a key migration monitoring site in the Flathead National Forest.
An observer at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch site.
Update
Autumn 2024 marked the 17 th full monitoring season at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch, run by members of the Flathead Audubon Society. Financial assistance from Montana Audubon’s Wildlife Fund Grant helped support the hiring of two contracted primary observers, which ensure consistent coverage throughout the monitoring season, as well as helping to leverage additional cash ($5017) and in-kind ($19,646) support for the effort from Flathead National Forest and volunteers.
A season characterized by few major weather events and consistent coverage led to above average numbers across almost all species counted in 2024. A total of 4,139 birds of 16 raptor species were recorded during 56 surveys this season, the second highest total in the history of the count. The Jewel Basin site is unique in that accipiters comprise the bulk of the flight; Sharp-shinned Hawks (2,248 counted) comprised 54% of the 2024 flight. Proximity to the birds at this ridgeline site also allows for sex and age classification of the passing birds, making this a valuable site for assessing reproductive performance. Jewel data has been used by Hawk Migration Association of North America in developing their continent-wide Raptor Population Index.
Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Elliott Ress.
