saw mill river audubon

connecting people & nature since 1953

We are a friendly community of people who enjoy exploring the outdoors. Our 1,100+ members are drawn from northwestern Westchester County, New York and beyond. All share a common desire to learn more about birds and other wildlife, and a common belief in the importance of preserving and protecting wildlife habitats. We hope you’ll browse through our upcoming events and join us for a field trip, workshop or community program.

upcoming event highlights

what we do

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  Education

  We offer field trips, workshops & programs to explore birds, other wildlife and their habitats.

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  Sanctuaries

  We protect more than 300 acres of wildlife habitat in eight sanctuaries.

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  Advocacy

  We advocate on environmental issues with Audubon New York & National Audubon.

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  Bird Seed Sale

  Support our local conservation work through our annual bird seed sale.

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: SMRA/Jeff Senecas.

seasonal focus:
hawk migration

Westchester County is in the middle of a migration highway for hawks, eagles, falcons and other birds of prey, or raptors. There are several hawk watch locations in our region staffed by volunteers in the fall to count the flow of southbound birds of prey. While red-tailed hawks, our most common hawk, may be seen year-round in our area, other raptors move south to follow their food sources. Some eat other birds that are migrating south. Some raptors eat reptiles, amphibians and insects and move south where their prey may be found year round. Some travel as far south as South America for the winter!

why and where do raptors migrate? great intro from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the first-ever sanctuary for raptors.
• download a quick guide to hawk ID: from NorthEast Hawk Watch.
• Get a continent-wide view of hawk migration with hawk count data from across North America
• Hook Mountain Hawk Watch in Nyack just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
• Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch, staffed by our sister chapter Bedford Audubon, just east of Mount Kisco
• Stateline Lookout, along the Palisades Parkway, a drive-up hawk watching location with beautiful views of the Lower Hudson River.