The characteristics of Eurasian Sparrowhawk nest trees and stands in the Tokachi Plain, Hokkaido, northern Japan

DOI IR Web Site 27 References
  • Hirai Katsui
    The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Iwate University Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
  • Yanagawa Hisashi
    Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 北海道十勝平野におけるハイタカの営巣木および営巣林分の特徴
  • ホッカイドウ トカチ ヘイヤ ニ オケル ハイタカ ノ エイソウ ボク オヨビ エイソウリン ブン ノ トクチョウ

Search this article

Abstract

We investigated the characteristics of nest trees and forest stands used by the Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus nesting in agricultural areas of the Tokachi Plain, Hokkaido. Surveys were performed for 31 nest trees located during the period 2007-2010, and nesting forest stands (0.1 ha plots centered on the nest tree) were compared to 37 forest stands without nests. Sparrowhawks nested most frequently in Japanese Larches Larix kaempferi in forest stands of the same tree species. Changes in analysis, comparison between nesting and non-nesting forest stands showed that sparrowhawks preferred evergreen conifer stands. Significant differences were observed between nesting and non-nesting plots: forest stands nested in by sparrowhawks were composed of smaller trees with smaller diameters at breast height, lower tree height, lower branch height, and greater values for both basal area and tree density, showing that sparrowhawks preferred the structural features of young dense forests. The young forests preferred by sparrowhawks may have been selected in order to reduce the risk of predation by sympatric Northern Goshawks A. gentilis, or to provide suitable foraging habitat.

Journal

References(27)*help

See more

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top