Rocky Mountain Research Station

Title: Management recommendations for the northern goshawk in the southwestern United States

Author: Reynolds, Richard T.; Graham, Russell T.; Reiser, M. Hildegard

Date: 1992

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-217. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 90 p.

Station ID: GTR-RM-217

Description: Present forest conditions ­ loss of a herbaceous and shrubby understory, reductions in the amount of older forests, and increased areas of dense tree regeneration ­ reflect the extent of human influence on these forests. These changes may also be affecting goshawk populations. Information on goshawk nesting habitat and foraging behavior, and the food and habitats of selected goshawk prey, was therefore synthesized to develop a set of management objectives, desired forest conditions, and management recommendations. Key objectives of the guidelines are to provide (1) nesting, post-fledging, and foraging areas for goshawks, and (2) habitat to support abundant populations of 14 primary goshawk prey. Thinning trees in the understory, creating small openings in the forest, and prescribed fires should help produce and maintain the desired forest conditions. Other habitat elements critical for maintaining both goshawk and prey populations include abundant snags and large downed logs, woody debris, interspersion of different tree sizes across the landscape, and the majority of a goshawk's home range in older-aged forests. These guidelines should also benefit forest health, soil productivity, and the habitats of other old-growth-dependent plants and animals.

Keywords: northern goshawk, Accipiter gentilis, nesting habitat, prey populations, management recommendations

View and Print this Publication (9.1 MB)

Publication Notes: 

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
• You may send email to rschneider@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication. (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)

 Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility

Citation

Reynolds, Richard T.; Graham, Russell T.; Reiser, M. Hildegard  1992.  Management recommendations for the northern goshawk in the southwestern United States.   Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-217. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 90 p..