Point Pelee National Park of Canada
Like several other bird species, hawks, vultures, falcons and eagles are strictly diurnal migrants. Hesitant to cross open water, many follow the shoreline of Lake Erie which eventually funnels many into Point Pelee.
When reaching the extremity of the Tip, northern harriers, osprey, merlins and peregrine falcons will not hesitate to cross Lake Erie. If weather conditions are right, a few sharp-shinned hawks and American kestrels will also make the crossing, but most will retreat inland and circumvent Lake Erie by going around its western basis via Amherstburg. The buteos (broad-winged, red-shouldered and red-tailed hawks) and turkey vultures, almost never cross water. They too will eventually go around, rather than across, Lake Erie.