Northern Goshawks in the Malheur National Forest Eastern Oregon 1992 TO 2011

Abstract

This report summarizes the data generated from a long-term effort to perform continued and consistent monitoring of goshawk nest sites on the Malheur National Forest in eastern Oregon from 1992 to 2010. This compilation is the product of personal field work in which data were collected in a manner that was consistent with the methods developed in 1992, the first year in which attempts to quantify variables in territory usage, habitat selection, yearly productivity, and other behavioral attributes of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) began in the drier eastern forests of Oregon.

The contents of this manuscript consist of a narrative of the history of studies and methods as envisioned by researchers from Oregon State University and various public land management agencies, and the yearly field observations subsequently carried out by the author. This information includes the tracking of movement, productivity, and yearly occurrences of goshawk in their territories, along with other observations and studies that were added by the author.

Rather than viewing this as an attempt to test hypotheses, this is a presentation of a long- term monitoring project, in the mold of classic natural history observations. This manuscript contains specific data and information from insights that hopefully will be gleaned to aid further investigations in this region of eastern Oregon, and may be of interest elsewhere.