Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1934 by Rosalie Edge, it is the world's first refuge for birds of prey. It had been a popular shooting site because of its location on a major hawk migration corridor and a 1929 bounty placed on northern goshawks. Through the work of its founder and early supporters, such as Richard Pough, it became a raptor conservation research, education, and training facility and a hawk-watching destination for bird and nature lovers globally.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
The ridge at Hawk Mountain sits astride a major migration corridor, and for years hunters gathered there to shoot passing raptors by the thousands—a slaughter encouraged by a 1929 bounty on goshawks. In 1934 conservationist Rosalie Edge bought the land and turned the killing ground into the world's first refuge for birds of prey. With early supporters like Richard Pough, she transformed it into a center for raptor research, education, and hawk-watching that draws nature lovers from around the globe.
Why it matters
Hawk Mountain marked a turning point in American conservation, showing that even predators deserved protection, and it became a birthplace of the modern movement to save wildlife once dismissed as vermin.
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Related people
- · Rosalie Edge
- · Richard Pough
Related events
- · Founding of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (1934)
Themes & tags
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