Hawk Ridge is a nature reserve and bird observatory renowned for its autumnal raptor migrations. The Audubon Society describes Hawk Ridge as "one of the premier sites in North America". P. B. Hofslund, one of the first ornithologists to conduct research there, pronounced it "one of the great hawk flyways of the world". Twenty-thousand birdwatchers visit Hawk Ridge each year to view the migration. It is an important site for ornithological research.