In October, We Walk for Hawks
The Event
From fall through spring, our medical staff treats the most severe injuries we see all year. All funds raised during Walk for Hawks will support wild birds injured during the fall migration season.
Mark your calendars! The 6th Annual Walk for Hawks Migration Challenge will take place from Saturday, October 4 2025h and run through Sunday, October 12th.
The winners’ package will be awarded to the top challengers who complete the most mileage during the week of Oct. 4-12, 2025. These top finishers will be asked to provide proof of mileage from popular logging applications like Strava, MapMyRun, RunKeeper, Apple, or Fitbit. A race representative will reach out to you after the close of the event.
At TRT, we believe that every bird deserves a safe migration, that every journey matters. For the Walk for Hawks, this means that every registrant can be a winner - regardless of how many miles you may go! All who sign up will be automatically entered into our WFH Daily Giveaways! Keep scrolling to learn more.
Join Our Migration Challenge!
Supporting the recovery of our feathered friends is as easy as 1-2-3
Register for Walk for Hawks - be sure to fill out the t-shirt survey!
Set a mileage goal for your personal Migration Challenge and choose how you’ll travel the distance (e.g. walking, running, hiking, cycling, etc.) during the event.
Track your mileage from October 4-12, 2025 and log your results at the end of the challenge. Winners will receive fun prizes!
Challengers can increase their impact by setting up a personal fundraising page to spread the word and raise more funds for migration season: all who do will receive a TRT Swag Bag!
A Perilous Season
All funds raised during Walk for Hawks will support wild birds injured during our second-busiest time of year: Fall Migration Season.
Why is Migration Season Dangerous?
Many birds make seasonal journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds, driven by changes in food availability, weather, and daylight. These birds fly hundreds or even thousands of miles during the spring and fall, following routes called flyways: “migration highways” for birds.
New Jersey is in the Atlantic Flyway, one of North America’s busiest migration routes. This already perilous journey has become more dangerous in today's increasingly urban environment, with thousands of birds colliding with windows, particularly skyscrapers, each year.
TRT admits so many window strike victims that this is the #2 Reason for Admit across all cases we treat. This injury is most common during the fall migration season, peaking in October when two-thirds (67%) of our patients will be window strike victims.
The good news is that these birds enjoy a higher survival rate than many other cases: with our help, 70% will survive. The more severe cases often have broken bones, and will require weeks or months in care. If they take too long to recover, they may have to wait out the winter and stay in care until it is safe to release them next year.
Monthly Averages of the Top 3 Annual Reasons for Admit
Event News
Every Journey Matters
Daily Giveaway Prizes
Everyone who registers for the Walk for Hawks has a chance to win, no matter the distance they cover! When you sign up, your name will be automatically entered into our WFH Daily Giveaways. A prize will be drawn for every day of the challenge: will you be one of the nine Daily Winners?
Personal Fundraising Challenge
Did you know that you can do even more for these magnificent birds by raising funds for your migration? Peer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful way to spread the word about your personal journey and inspire others to support your cause.
As a special thank-you, you’ll receive a TRT Swag Bag when you register for Walk for Hawks and send us the link to your personal fundraiser. If your page raises the most, you’ll also get a special gift!
You can create your own fundraising page on Givebutter, Facebook, PayPal, or whichever platform you prefer. After it’s set up, email the link to development@theraptortrust.org to receive your TRT Swag Bag! Please reach out if you would like help setting up a personal fundraiser.
Make a Difference, Whatever the Distance!
Whatever “migration” goal you set for yourself makes a difference. All proceeds from this event will go towards helping birds admitted to TRT with migration-related injuries. Your registration fee will help provide:
antibiotics to cure infections from open wounds
splinting and other medical supplies for healing broken bones
chelation therapy for lead poisoning from contaminated food sources
species-appropriate food for each patient’s stay at The Raptor Trust
An average migration season patient will cost $100, but costs can soar into the thousands.
Migration Inspiration
Migratory birds are known for their incredible ability to cover great distances in the wild. Migration Season, however, can be life-threatening for them.
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Arctic Tern
These birds have the longest migration on earth - 55,923 miles from pole to pole! They can live up to 30 years, so in their lifetime they can travel the distance to the moon and back three times!
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Sooty Shearwater
This spectacular, stout bird journeys 40,000 miles from islands in the southern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to subarctic waters!
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Peregrine Falcon
While most raptors are short-distance migrants, Peregrine Falcons that nest in the arctic tundra winter in South America-- that means they can migrate up to 15,500 miles in a year!
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Broad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawks can travel over 4,350 miles (one way)! They can fly in huge flocks of thousands of birds, called a kettle.
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Great Snipe
This bird is the fastest migrant- a Great Snipe reaches speeds of up to 60 mph over migration of 4,225 miles! It doesn't take any breaks and can lose up to half its body weight in one migration season
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird
These short-distance migrants travel 500 miles straight across the Gulf of Mexico.
Walk For Hawks Sponsors
Challenge sponsors have the opportunity to gain significant exposure through TRT’s extensive community. For as little as $250, your company logo will be placed on our website and social media.
If your company is interested in sponsoring at the $1,000 level or higher, your employees will be invited to participate in the challenge free of charge and receive a private tour.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, download the Sponsor Opportunities here.
Please contact cconner@theraptortrust.org for more information.
Late to the party?
While early registration will ensure you have access to this year’s limited edition T-shirt, daily giveaways, and more, you can sign up any time before the event ends! Registration will remain open through October 13th. You can backlog your mileage or challenge yourself to complete your personal challenge in a shorter time period. If you have any questions, please contact Christina Conner at cconner@theraptortrust.org.