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The South Cape May Meadows. Wooden fencing separating areas of grassy sand dunes with trees and houses in the distance.
The South Cape May Meadows Each fall, migrating songbirds, hawks, monarchs and more funnel into southern New Jersey’s peninsula in great numbers. © TNC

Stories in New Jersey

Fall Migration in Cape May

September 09, 2018 | Last updated July 27, 2021

Each fall, migrating songbirds, hawks, monarchs and more funnel into southern New Jersey’s peninsula in great numbers. Here's a sampling of who to look for at our South Cape May Meadows and Garrett Family Preserve right now.

Northern saw-whet owl in a forest.
Northern saw-whet owl Northern saw-whets are some of the smallest owls in the world. © Megan Lorenz

Banding studies conducted in Cape May Point have documented the importance of the Atlantic coast as a fall migration route for raptors. Migrating raptors usually fly over broad fronts but can become concentrated by landforms, like the peninsula that creates the southern tip of New Jersey. Passing raptors hesitate to cross the Delaware Bay, slowing their progress, and resulting in large concentrations of raptors in the Cape May area. 

Owls of South Cape May Meadows (2:14) The South Cape May Meadows Preserve is a haven for migrating birds, including owls! Expert owl researcher Katy Duffy highlights the importance of banding owls for understanding their conservation status.

Fall Raptor Migration

Cape May is considered one of the best birding destinations in North America to witness fall migration, especially for raptors. Peregrine falcons, sharp-shinned hawks and northern harriers are just a few of the incredible raptors you'll see on our preserves during fall migration.

Closeup of sharp shinned hawk.
A turkey vulture lands in a field with its wings outspread.
Broad-winged hawk flies through a forest.
American kestrel in flight.
Osprey flies with a fish in its talons.
Merlin perched on branch.
Cooper's hawk perched in a tree.
Peregrine falcon with wings spread.
Northern harrier flies low over wetland grasses.
Portrait of an adult merlin.
Closeup of sharp shinned hawk.
A turkey vulture lands in a field with its wings outspread.
Broad-winged hawk flies through a forest.
American kestrel in flight.
Osprey flies with a fish in its talons.
Merlin perched on branch.

Merlin: September is peak migration time for merlin. © Chris Davidson

Cooper's hawk perched in a tree.
Peregrine falcon with wings spread.
Northern harrier flies low over wetland grasses.
Portrait of an adult merlin.
Monarch Butterfly on flower.
Monarch Butterfly Each fall, monarch butterflies stop in Cape May before continuing their migration to Mexico. © TNC/Chris Helzer
Monarch Butterfly on flower.

On their journey south to Mexico, monarch butterflies stop in Cape May County for a few weeks, numbering in the tens of thousands! Migration runs from September to October, peaking in the last weeks of September. The Garrett Family Preserve is a great place to spot monarch butterflies, as the preserve fills with goldenrod come late August. This nectar-bearing perennial is a vital food source for monarchs during their migration. Learm more about the monarchs' incredible migration by watching our Marvelous Monarchs webinar. 

American woodcock on forest floor.
American Woodcock In Autumn, large numbers of American woodcock congregate in the woodlands and thickets of the South Cape May Meadows Preserve. © Damon Noe / TNC

American woodcock feed heavily on earthworms to build up their body-fat reserves before crossing the Delaware Bay and continuing south.

Common Loon and chick in a pond.
Common Loon The common loons we see in New Jersey are likely migrating from eastern Canada. © Shutterstock
Common loon and chick in pond.

Common loons leave the northern lakes that serve as their summer breeding grounds and head down the Atlantic coast. They eat fish and are agile swimmers, but they are also speedy in the air—they’ve been clocked flying at more than 70 mph!

Northern flicker in flight.
Northern Flicker The northern flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory. © Shutterstock

Each fall, Northern flickers travel south from Alaska and Canada. Unlike other woodpeckers, northern flickers prefer to dig for—and eat—ants from the ground.

Green-winged teal in a pond.
Green-winged Teal During migration, look for green-winged teal in shallow wetlands and marshes. © Shutterstock

Green-winged teal will “dabble” with other duck species, but can be differentiated by their small, compact bodies that float high out of the water. 

Yellow-rumped warblers travel in large flocks from the northern reaches of Canada every winter, flooding the southern U.S., Atlantic coastline, Mexico and Central America.
The best time to see yellow-rumped warblers is during migration, when hordes of them sweep down the Atlantic Flyway.
Yellow-rumped warblers travel in large flocks from the northern reaches of Canada every winter, flooding the southern U.S., Atlantic coastline, Mexico and Central America.
The best time to see yellow-rumped warblers is during migration, when hordes of them sweep down the Atlantic Flyway.

Yellow-rumped warblers love the shrubby habitats of New Jersey’s coast like those found in Cape May.

Tree Swallow Migration (1:12) Fall months mark the beginning of their migration, which takes 3-4 months for them to complete.
Tree Swallows in flight.
Large flocks of tree swallows fill the skies of our South Cape May Meadows Preserve.

Tree swallows are very social birds and during migration form enormous flocks numbering in the hundreds of thousands of birds, which have been known to darken the skies of Cape May in the Fall. They supplement their insect diet with berries and can be seen landing by the masses on bayberry trees at our South Cape May Meadows Preserve. They will usually land and begin flying again in unison, causing massive clouds of birds!

American kestrel on a rock.
American Kestrel The American kestrel is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. © Shutterstock

American kestrels will migrate south from Canada, but some take up year-round residence in the lower 48 states. They can frequently be spotted along mountain ridges, on telephone poles and scouting for prey (predominately large flying insects) from high in treetops.

Visit Our Cape May Preserves This Fall

Cape May is a fall migration hot spot, and our South Cape May Meadows and Garrett Family Preserves are located in the heart of the migration action, making them havens for migrating songbirds, raptors, pollinators and more!

South Cape May Meadows Preserve freshwater pond.
Nature trails through fields.
Goldenrod flowers along a trail.
Trail at South Cape May Meadows Preserve.
Wooden arches on nature trail.
South Cape May Meadows Preserve freshwater pond.
Nature trails through fields.
Goldenrod flowers along a trail.
Trail at South Cape May Meadows Preserve.
Wooden arches on nature trail.

This area is such a legendary and productive hotspot that you can find doorstop-sized books written about birds and birding on this tiny peninsula. 

Fall migration is a must-see in Cape May, expect to see a wide variety of migrants from September through November. 

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