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the climate, habitat type, or elevation. The Goshutes hawkwatch in eastern Nevada is one of those sites. Residentspecies include single pairs of Northern Goshawks, RedtailedHawks, Golden Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons. Theseresidents are seen regularly from mid-August to late Septemberbut depart thereafter. The high number of raptors observedand captured at the Goshutes indicates that almost allobserved are indeed migrants. Resident adults are wise toplastic owl decoys and trapping operations, and they arenearly impossible to catch. The same can be said for Swallowtailedand Plumbeous Kites migrating south through Panamain August. While some resident kites may be involved, kettlesof 100+ moving quickly past at high elevation are indicativeof migrants. Migrant Ospreys, especially along the AtlanticCoast, can be more difficult to discern since they overlapwith breeders that congregate along the coast for days ata time in September before moving south.Fig. 11. [Top left] This second-year light-morphBroad-winged Hawk is molting P2–P4 and r1.Brockway Mountain, Michigan; 16 May 2002.© Michael Shupe.Fig. 12. [Bottom left] This second-year lightmorphSwainson’s Hawk is molting P1–P4.Wasatch Mountains, Utah; 11 May 2003.© Jerry Liguori.Fig. 13. [Below] This adult Red-tailed Hawkis molting its outer primaries, middle secondaries,and rectrices. Wasatch Mountains, Utah;28 September 2007. © Jerry Liguori.More Questions than AnswersThe relationships between active flight feather molt and otheravian biological processes require further study, and herewe can only put forth theories. Many long-distance migrantraptors do not appear to molt and migrate simultaneouslywith regularity, but patterns of migration distance and moltare still unclear. Pyle (2008) delineates molt timing for NorthAmerican raptors. Many species apparently start their definitiveprebasic molt on the breeding grounds, suspend molt formigration, and then complete wing molt on the winteringgrounds. A few scenarios might explain the high proportionof Western migrants actively molting during migration. Perhapsthey are late breeders, in the process of suspending acww w . a B a . o r g 43