NCW Audubon to host program on 22-year Winter Raptor Survey

WENATCHEE — The NCW Audubon Society will host an online presentation Oct. 14 examining more than two decades of community science tracking wintering raptors across the Pacific Northwest.

The program, scheduled for 7 p.m. via Zoom, will focus on the Winter Raptor Survey Project sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance, based in Bend, Oregon.

The project was established to survey areas throughout Oregon to determine the density and distribution of wintering raptor species and track changes from year to year. It later expanded as organizers sought to better understand wintering raptor populations across the Pacific Northwest.

The project began with 79 survey routes. By the end of the 2025-26 winter season, its 22nd year, it had grown to 654 routes covering more than 35,000 miles of transects with participation from more than 500 volunteers.

Surveys now cover Oregon, Idaho and Washington, along with the northern portions of California and Utah, the western half of Montana and southern portions of British Columbia.

The Oct. 14 presentation will cover the project's development and expansion and include photographs of 31 species documented during more than 25,000 surveys. Many of the photographs were taken by project participants.

Charts and maps will also be presented to illustrate data collected through volunteer fieldwork over the project's history.

Those interested in attending the Zoom presentation can register by emailing events@ncwaudubon.org.