Golden Gate Raptor Observatory/Hawks

For over 30 years, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) has been a program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in cooperation with the National Park Service.

The GGRO’s mission is to inspire the preservation of California raptor populations. The GGRO was formed in the early 1980s to track the Golden Gate migration, an annual flight of tens of thousands of hawks, eagles, falcons, and vultures, birds collectively called “raptors.”

A close up of a hawk
A close up of a hawk

Jessica Weinberg-McClosky/Parks Conservancy

Hands release a hawk
Hands release a hawk

Jessica Weinberg-McClosky/Parks Conservancy

Spectators try to catch a glimpse of a raptor
Spectators try to catch a glimpse of a raptor

Jessica Weinberg-McClosky/Parks Conservancy

Up close to a raptor
Up close to a raptor

Jessica Weinberg-McClosky/Parks Conservancy

A personal experience with a hawk
A personal experience with a hawk

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

A hawk in flight
A hawk in flight

Parks Conservancy

Students search for migrating raptors
Students search for migrating raptors

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

A group stroll while spotting hawks
A group stroll while spotting hawks

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

On the lookout for hawks passing by
On the lookout for hawks passing by

Paul Myers/Parks Conservancy

Students get up-close and personal with hawk feathers
Students get up-close and personal with hawk feathers

Alison Taggart-Barone/Parks Conservancy

© 2025 Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. All rights reserved.