The Golden Eagle Migration Count
Every fall Golden Eagles migrate from their breeding grounds north of us to wintering grounds to the south. In the spring they fly back to their breeding grounds. One of the main routes for this migration is along the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. At our watch site on the banks of the Kananaskis River near Mount Lorette, we count the passing eagles, and other raptors, for nearly eight weeks each spring and fall.
The Spring 2026 Migration Count runs from March 1 to April 22 with observers at the Mount Lorette site daily. We welcome visitors, and suggest that if you are interested in visiting the site then come in the mid-afternoon, which is when we typically see the highest number of eagles.
You can follow along with the count by reading the daily blog below, and you can learn more about Golden Eagles and the count by browsing the pages on this website. Got questions? We’ve got answers!
See the Spring Count 2026 Daily Summaries
Mount Lorette (24 Mar 2026) 1 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 24, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 52 | 52 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | 870 | 870 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 1 | 942 | 942 |
| Observation start time: | 06:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 08:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 0.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
I would have been very surprised had there been any visitors so early in the morning on such a windy, snowy, cold day. There were none.
Weather:
Spring weather. There was some hope that just maybe the snow would hold off a little bit this morning and there would be a continuation of yesterday’s flight, but it was not to be. Although the sky was overcast, the ridges were clear on arrival at sunrise, but first the west ridge dissolved into the mist, and then clouds draped over the east ridge, bringing light snow that was forecast to worsen and continue for the rest of the day, so the count was abandoned after less than an hour. Ground winds were in the range 20-30kph from the northeast – migrant eagles are rarely seen when the wind is from that direction. For that brief time the temperature was -5C.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the conditions, one unaged Golden Eagle was seen flying briefly above the east ridge.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds around were a small flock of starlings, some Canada Geese, a small flock of crows heading north, and a couple of Varied Thrushes.
Predictions:
Tomorrow is looking better than today, but some flurries may get in the way of the migration. The next big days could be Friday and Saturday this week.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (23 Mar 2026) 200 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 23, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 12 | 52 | 52 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 187 | 869 | 869 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 200 | 941 | 941 |
| Observation start time: | 06:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 12.48 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber |
Visitors:
About 25 visitors came to the site, and a few helped with binoculars. A combined group of students from multiple schools stopped by for an educational visit about the eagles.
Weather:
The temperature at the start of the count was �6�C, rising to 6�C and falling to 4 at the day’s end. The sky was totally covered with low-lying cloud, and none of the ridges were visible until around 10:00. Wind came from the north until 12:30, when it changed to W and SW for the remainder of the day. It blew at 1-2 Beaufort in the morning and 3-4 in the afternoon with some very intense gusts. One unexpected gust at 16:25 nearly carried us into the river! The weather station at the Nakiska Ridgetop is still not working, but the snow plumes on the ridges indicated very strong westerly wind at that level. Cloud coverage averaged about 40% and included cumulus, stratocumulus, and by the end of the day was mainly cirrostratus.
Raptor Observations:
All but a handful of birds used the east ridges. At first, we located the majority of the birds at Mount Lorette. But as the day progressed, we discovered their flight path extremely high above the North Fisher range. Near the end of the day, they flew straight over Lorette without stopping to fly across the escarpment and onto McGillivray, as did most of the birds today. Aging was exceedingly difficult due to atmospheric humidity, distance of flight, backlight conditions, and flight style. Also, because of the high winds, many of the eagles glided with wings tucked in. The total number of raptors was: 187 golden Eagles (76 a, 2 sa, 1 j, 7 ui, 101 u), 12 Bald Eagles ( 7a, 4 sa, 1j), 1 American Goshawk. A resident Golden Eagle, American Goshawk and Bald Eagles were seen.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Northern Pygmy-owl sounded throughout the day, and the male Mountain Bluebird made an appearance before the Northern Shrike appeared. Other birds included 40 European Starlings, 3 American Robins, 3 Varied Thrush, 1 Northern Flicker, Pine Siskins, 1 Mountain Chickadee, Dark-eyed Juncos, Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Bohemian Waxwing, 12 Canada Geese, Ravens.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (22 Mar 2026) 331 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 22, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 13 | 40 | 40 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 312 | 682 | 682 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 331 | 741 | 741 |
| Observation start time: | 06:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 12.3 hours |
| Official Counter | Cameron Harvey |
| Observers: | Caroline Lambert, Christina Furtado, Michelle Hart |
Visitors:
11 visitors throughout the day brought their own binoculars and stopped to help spot. Some staying for several hours and being the first to spot several migrants. Thank-you very much for the help! Many other visitors stopped to say high, observers were too busy counting raptors to count total visitors today.
Weather:
The temperature was -6 C at the start of the count rising to a high of 2 C and falling to 0 C at count’s end. Surface winds were generally Beaufort 2-3 from the SW with a few gusts up to Beaufort 5. Nakiska Ridgetop was not recording wind data, but large plumes of snow off ridge lines were visible most of the day indicating strong ridgetop, and high level, winds from the west. Cloud cover was scattered throughout the day with heavier cloud cover to the west and mostly open to the east, cloud types were generally cumulus, stratocumulus and altostratus.
Raptor Observations:
The count ended up with 331 migrant raptors including 312 Golden Eagles (121 a, 12 ui, 179 u), 13 Bald Eagles (6 a, 6 sa, 1 j) 1 American Goshawk, 1 Merlin, 1 unknown accipitrine , 1 unknown eagle and 2 unknown raptor. Raptor flight today was generally very high over the ridges and very fast. Fast tucked glides and little time spent soaring made aging difficult. The flight path was high over the east ridge for most of the day with the odd eagle seen over Nakiska. Around 17:00 MST there was a major switch in the flightpath with a large push of eagles going over the west ridges. Strong backlit conditions on the west ridge at this time made aging impossible. Non-migrant raptors included a resident American Goshawk, one resident Golden Eagle and two resident Bald Eagles.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Northern Pygmy-owl was heard calling several times in the afternoon, but was not seen. Also notable was a lone male Mountain Bluebird and a Northern Shrike which both made an appearance in the last hour of the count. Other non-raptors seen include: 3 Varied Thrush, 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Song Sparrow, 14 Bohemian Waxwings, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos, 2 Canada Geese, 1 Canada Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Pine Siskin, American Robin, European Starling, and Common Raven were present.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (21 Mar 2026) 91 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 21, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 7 | 27 | 27 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 83 | 370 | 370 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 91 | 410 | 410 |
| Observation start time: | 15:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 3.52 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
Thanks to Marney & Charleigh, and to the manager of the local hostel for stopping by to spot some eagles. Come back anytime! There were no other visitors.
Weather:
The temperature was a steady 0 C during observation. Wind was very light to calm from the NE-NW at ground and ridge level. High wind shifted to moderate from the SW late the day. Cloud cover was 80-100% cumulus, stratus, and stratocumulus. Ridges were variably obscured between 20 and 100%. Occasional snow squalls passed through, but they didn’t last long and didn’t drop enough snow to accumulate.
Raptor Observations:
In the morning the cameras on the Nakiska ski hill showed nothing but snow and low clouds. The forecast seemed to indicate more of the same for the rest of the day, so I cancelled the count. When I checked again in the afternoon the snow had stopped and the sky was clearing slightly. I still wasn’t expecting much to be moving, but I decided to go to the site anyway just in case. It’s a good thing I did, because the short count produced 91 migrants including 83 Golden Eagles (34 a, 4 sa, 1 ui, 44u), 7 Bald Eagles (6 a, 1 sa), and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk. Light north wind makes poor flying conditions, so most migrants were moving low and slow with much soaring and flapping and very little gliding or kiting. All were on the east ridges, and most of them (63) were counted in the 4-5 PM hour. No local raptors were observed.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Northern Pygmy-owl was heard on and off in the afternoon, and later seen near the site. One of the local Canada Jays seemed to be following it and harassed it at least once. Other birds were 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 2 Common Ravens, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 11 European Starlings, 3 Varied Thrushes, 15 Bohemian Waxwings, and 9 Dark-eyed Juncos (6 Oregon, 3 u).
Predictions:
The return of strong SW wind during what’s usually the peak week of migration means tomorrow has potential to be a very high count.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (20 Mar 2026) Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 20, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 287 | 287 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 0 | 319 | 319 |
(No count conducted today)
Visitors:
All sensible people stayed inside today, so I had the meadow to myself.
Weather:
No count conducted today due to persistent rain and low clouds obscuring the ridgelines.
Raptor Observations:
N/A
Non-raptor Observations:
A pair of Canada Geese flew along the river, while the forest edge contained at least one Robin, and slight deeper in, a group of Boreal Chickadees accompanied by one Mountain and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. By the time I left the list sat at 9 species, none of them unexpected.
Report submitted by Ethan Denton (ethan@suechick.com)
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (19 Mar 2026) Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 19, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 287 | 287 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 0 | 319 | 319 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 5.63 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: |
Weather:
A day of persistent light to moderate rain. Temperature from 6C to 8C. Ground winds light SW. The count was ended at 15:00 as the rain became heavier.
Raptor Observations:
No raptors were seen
Non-raptor Observations:
I walked through some of the forest trails during periods of lighter rain and there seemed to be a few more small birds around. 3 Common Merganser, 6 Common Raven, 6 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 1 Varied Thrush, 1 Canada Jay, 2 White-winged Crossbill, 6 Pine Siskin
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (18 Mar 2026) 10 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 18, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 8 | 287 | 287 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 10 | 319 | 319 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Dan Parliament |
| Observers: | Alicia Magwood, Erk Gamboa, Kerry Malakoff, Tyler Magwood |
Visitors:
We appreciated the additional assistance of George H, Dave S, and Yumi H in helping with observation. In addition, eighteen students from the Grade Five elementary school in Banff came to the site to learn more about the migration dynamics. A big thank you to Glenn Webber for providing an excellent interpretative tour, and Banff teachers Tyson and Christy.
Weather:
The temperature was reasonable at +6 C with ground winds from the SW at 6-11 km/hr. The High winds were High or greater than 41 km/hr. The day was characterized by low cloud cover and steady drizzle that ranged from light to heavy and then rain at at 1500 hrs. The count was suspended at 1530 hrs due to the continuing rain, obscured ridges and the promise of more nasty weather moving from the South.
Raptor Observations:
Ten migrant raptors were observed today. The count was eight Golden Eagles (Adults x 3, Unaged x 5), one adult Bald Eagle, and one unidentified Eagle. With the low cloud ceiling there was some haze on the ridges, and the migrants appeared to pop up behind the Big Smile and then catch the Southerly ridge winds and then quickly disappear down the valley. The route seemed to extend down the valley rather than towards Mt Lorette as typical. The brief appearance of the migrants plus the lack of soaring was not conducive to accurate aging of the migrants. In addition, a resident American Goshawk (unaged) and three resident adult Bald Eagles were observed, all of which were hunting low over the valley and proceeding in a Southerly direction.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other observations were as follows: Canada Goose x 4, Common Merganser x 3, Belted Kingfisher x 1, Canada Jay x 1, Common Raven x 1, Black-capped Chickadee x 3, Mountain Chickadee x 3, White-winged Crossbill x 2 and White-tailed Deer x 2
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
