In 1934, this Pennsylvania mountain went from a hawk killing ground to the world's first raptor sanctuary and changed bird conservation forever

Every autumn, the skies above a forested ridge in eastern Pennsylvania fill with movement. Eagles drift on rising air, falcons streak across the horizon and kestrels appear in quick flashes before disappearing south. For generations, Hawk Mountain has been one of North America's best places to witness this seasonal migration because the landscape naturally funnels birds of prey along a narrow route through the Appalachian Mountains. Yet the ridge was not always known for conservation. Long before visitors arrived carrying binoculars and cameras, people climbed the same slopes with rifles.The transformation from a place where raptors were routinely shot to a protected sanctuary reshaped both bird conservation and the scientific study of migration, leaving a legacy that continues nearly a century later.Why so many raptors pass over Hawk Mountain Hawk Mountain sits within the Appalachian chain, where the shape of the landscape works in favour of migrating raptors. As birds travel between their breeding territories and wintering grounds, many avoid unnecessary effort by taking advantage of warm columns of rising air and favourable winds. The ridge creates ideal conditions for soaring f...