Each fall our skies fill with the wings of migrating raptors. This ancient migration spans two hemispheres, binding our backyards to the forests of the far north and the wildest corners of South America. A network of volunteers and biologists stand ready to document each pulse of the migration by collecting data that may arm us with the means to better understand the health and wellbeing of these wayward fliers and the landscapes that sustain them. Sky Migrations is a film about a journey that embeds us in this epic migration for a brief moment, telling the stories of those who, with eyes cast skyward, tuck themselves atop mountains to help ensure that October skies may continue to flood with raptors, and that wilderness itself lives on.
A Film By Charles Post, Max Lowe and Forest Woodward
Sound Design: William Lake Springstead
Editing: Sam Hedlund
Color: Sam Lowe
Motion Graphics: Jim Menkol
Illustrations: Issac Lowe
Special Thanks To:
Hawkwatch International and crew
Joseph Dane
Andy Earl
Huckberry
Mary Anne Potts
National Geographic
Micah McKay
Zach Alexander
Dennis Randall
Filmmaker and ecologist, Charles Post, looks across the eastern horizon in search of migrating raptors bombing South as they embark on an epic migration binding forests from the far north to – in some cases – grasslands deep in South America. This is one of the planet’s great migrations. Photo Max Lowe
Filmmaker and ecologist, Charles Post, and a sharp-shinned hawk pause for a moment before its release back into the river of migrating raptors overhead. Photo: Forest Woodward
A hawkwatch volunteer moments before the release of a golden eagle captured high atop Nevada’s Goshute Mountains. This eagle was captured, banded and released by researchers as part of an ongoing study on raptor population dynamics and migration patterns. And it wasn’t a bad way to kick off filming for Sky Migrations! Photo Charles Post