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HOME RANGES AND HABITAT USE OF SUBURBAN RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS
Citation:
Dykstra, C. R., J. L. Hays, F B. Daniel, AND M. M. Simon. HOME RANGES AND HABITAT USE OF SUBURBAN RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. Presented at American Ornithologist Union, Ithaca, NY, August 1, 1999.
Description:
Radio telemetry was used to determine home range size and habitat use for breeding season and non-breedng season red-shouldered hawks nesting in a surburban area in southwestern Ohio. Home ranges averaged 96.0 ha for males (n=4) and 48.3 for females (n-2) during the breeding season, and 182.8 ha during the non-breeding season (n=3 males and 2 females). During the breeding season, the home ranges comprised 60.6% forest, 22.9% lawns/fields, 15.6% urban, and 0.4% water/wetland, on average. Each home range contained an average of 119 buildings (primarily residences), a density of 1.5 buildings/ha. Habitats where radio-tagged birds were observed perching were classified by researchers. During the breeding season, 51% of the observations of hawks were in upland forests/brush, 26% in lawns/fields, 1% in hosing/urban areas, nd 21% along the edges of streams or ponds (n=164 observations, distribution differs from distribution of habitat in home ranges, chi-square p <0.001). For the non-breeding season, home ranges were larger and comprised 58.1% forest, 22.2% lawns/fields, 18.8% urban, and 0.3% water/wetland, on average. Non-breeding home ranges contained an average of 311 buildings, a density of 1.6 buildings/ha. During the non-breeding season, 48% of the observations of hawks were in upland forests/brush, 41% in lawns/fields, 0% in housing/urban areas, and 11% along the edges of streams or ponds (n=126 observations, chi-square p<0.001).