Patterns in Movement, Captures, and Phenology of Sharp-shinned Hawks in Central Coastal California

Abstract

Between 1979 and 2006, we captured 452 Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) at the Palomarin Field Station in the Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, central coastal California. Of all captures, the majority, 83%, were young males. We recaptured 46 individuals; 42 were originally banded at our site, and four were originally banded at a site 24 km southeast of our banding site, suggesting that our site may be a point on migration or a wintering destination for some Sharp-shinned Hawks. We captured Sharp-shinned Hawks during every month of the year, with peak captures occurring in the fall from late September to mid-November. Capture rate significantly increased over the course of our study, consistent with results from some other monitoring programs.