Nest site preferences of the Eurasian Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, an indicator species of conservation concern, in hemiboreal mixed forests

Abstract

The Goshawk has been recognized as an effective bioindicator sensitive to forest management. We used a comprehensive data set on 75 Goshawk nest sites from Estonia to explore the species’ preferences in relation with forest and landscape characteristics. Goshawk nest sites were regularly distributed with a mean nearest neighbour distance of 6.9 km. The hawks showed a preference for nesting in old (mean age 101 years) coniferous Oxalis-type stands with medium tree density, although the preferred nest tree species was deciduous birch. In surroundings of nest sites, there was a relatively high proportion of old-growth forest (64 %), and nests were closer to mires (1319 m) than expected, while being at a moderate distance from the forest edge (135 m). However, we did not detect any significant effect of the proximity of buildings and roads. Our results suggest that territoriality sets the upper limit to the nesting population, and the ultimate choice of nest location is constrained by the availability of suitable nest sites. We recommend that foresters planning timber harvesting near Goshawk nests avoid clear cutting and maintain sufficiently mature forest nearby. Furthermore, keeping suitable forest patches across forest land support a healthy Goshawk population.