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A 38-year Summary of Raptor Banding at Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
Citation:
EVANS, D. L., G. J. NIEMI, AND M. A. ETTERSON. A 38-year Summary of Raptor Banding at Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Minnesota, USA. Presented at 2010 Raptor Research Foundation, Fort Collins, CO, September 22 - 24, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
Our summary will focus on the patterns of recovery for these species and potential causes for annual variation in number of birds banded over the past 38 years compared with those counted at Hawk Ridge.
Description:
Consistent banding of raptors at Hawk Ridge was initiated in 1972 and has continued for 38 years to the present. A total of 99,505 raptors or 2,619 per year have been banded at Hawk Ridge including 23 different species. The majority of birds banded were Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) (60,147) and Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus)(20,676). Among the totals also include 8,103 Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), six Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus), 2,243 Long-eared Owls (Asio otus), and 92 Boreal Owls (Aegolius funereus). Three species have had a substantial number of recoveries and returns, these include 459 Northern Saw-whet Owls (327 recoveries and 132 returns), 381 Sharp-shinned Hawks (320 recoveries and 61 returns), and 278 Northern Goshawk (228 recoveries and 50 returns). Our summary will focus on the patterns of recovery for these species and potential causes for annual variation in number of birds banded over the past 38 years compared with those counted at Hawk Ridge. Despite consistent effort, the last six years (2004-2009) were six of the seven lowest totals banded over the 38-year period; primarily due to the low number of Sharp-shinned Hawks banded.