All Eyes to the Skies for Festival of Hawks at Holiday Beach Conservation Area

All eyes will be on the skies this September as Holiday Beach Conservation Area becomes one of the best places in North America to witness the fall raptor migration, with tens of thousands of hawks and other birds of prey soaring overhead on their annual journey south. As communities across Canada celebrate the natural places that make this country strong, the Festival of Hawks invites visitors to experience the Essex region’s globally significant migration corridor and the shared conservation work that helps protect it. 

The 2026 Festival of Hawks takes place September 19 and 20 and is co-hosted by the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) and the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO). Guests can climb the Hawk Tower to watch the migration unfold, join guided hikes and beginner-friendly workshops, see live raptor presentations, and learn how experts band raptors and hummingbirds to support long-term species and population monitoring. HBMO will conduct their ever-popular banding demonstrations, identification workshops and symbolic bird adoptions. In the Festival’s Vendor Village, local naturalists and environmental groups will also share hands-on activities and information for birders, families, and anyone curious about how healthy habitats, clean water and protected shorelines support wildlife and resilient communities. Live Canadian Raptor Conservancy shows will take place daily at 10am and 12 noon, generously sponsored by Unifor 444, and Just Fishin’ Friends will be at the Trout Pond to share casting tips on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Kids can also take part in the Birds of a Feather Treasure Hunt, following clues along the trail to find hidden birds and feathers.  

The annual migration is a spectacular natural event, and a reminder that protected habitats, restored watersheds and community science all help sustain biodiversity. Through bird banding, monitoring and partnerships, the Festival highlights the important conservation work that creates a future of sustainability for the next generations. 

“Audubon Magazine has identified Holiday Beach Conservation Area as one of the 10 best sites in all of North America to experience the raptor migration,” notes Danielle Stuebing, ERCA’s Director of Communications & Outreach.  “People travel from across the world to celebrate the migration, and we’re fortunate to witness it right in our own backyard.”  

New this year is the opportunity to show your love for Holiday Beach and the Festival of Hawks with fun festival swag. Sweatshirts and t-shirts are available for pre-purchase to help guests secure their preferred sizes, with items also available at the Festival. On Saturday evening, guests can also purchase tickets for a special Owl Prowl, an intimate guided walk through the woods to look and listen for owls. “When circumstances are just right and you’re able to call in an owl, it’s really an extraordinary experience,” Stuebing adds. 

The Festival takes place from 9am to 3pm on September 19 and 20. All daytime programs are included with the festival admission fee of $20 per vehicle or a seasonal pass. The schedule of programs, ticket links, merchandise and owl prowl tickets are all available at https://essexregionconservation.ca/festivalofhawks.  

Festival-goers are encouraged to arrive early, bring binoculars if they have them, and plan time to explore the full lineup of hikes, demonstrations, children’s activities, food vendors, and nature displays throughout the day. The best raptor viewing time is from 9am until noon when the hawks fly low.  

Holiday Beach Conservation Area is located on County Road 50, on Lake Erie near Malden Centre approximately 15km southeast of historic Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, a half hour drive from Highway 401 and only 40 minutes from the Gordie Howe International Bridge for those coming from the United States.    

Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO) is a registered charitable volunteer organization dedicated to the study and monitoring of migratory birds in the vicinity of Holiday Beach Conservation Area in the Big Creek watershed.  

The Essex Region Conservation Authority is a public sector organization established by the Province of Ontario in 1973 and governed by local municipalities. For more than 50 years, it has delivered local programs and services that further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources in watersheds in the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region.