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Status Assessment of Nesting Ferruginous Hawks in Southwestern Idaho
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Technical Assistance - This study was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of two survey strategies as effective methods to monitor long-term trends of Ferruginous Hawk nesting and productivity. The basic, approach involves comparing estimates of occupancy and productivity based on surveys of historical territories (one of the most common means of monitoring nesting Ferruginous Hawk) with estimates from quadrat sampling. We collected field data in 1996 in two separate study areas in south Idaho" the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area and the BLM's Raft River Raptor Area. Both areas.contained relatively high nesting concentrations of Ferruginous Hawks and long-term historical nesting data. Field sampling consisted of surveying historical territories and conducting full surveys of a sample of randomly selected 16-km2 quadrats. Unfortunately, we received only enough funding to complete fieldwork, and the Principal Investigator was left to analyze the data and complete the report. However, commitments to other major priority projects at SRFS by the Principal Investigator have greatly hampered analyses and report writing.
The Bureau of Land Management and other land and wildlife management agencies are concerned about the status and trends of nesting Ferruginous Hawks in relation energy developments. These concerns precipitated a Ferruginous Hawk workshop cosponsored by the BLM and the USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Snake River Field Station that was held in Boise, Idaho in December 2004. The workshop identified the critical need for well-designed, standardized procedures for monitoring nesting Ferruginous Hawks and looked at this study as a source of information. Results this study be used to develop a protocol for monitoring long-term trends of Ferruginous Hawk abundance and productivity that can be applied throughout the species' range. This information will provide resource managers the necessary tools for making lnanagement decisions in relation to land use activities.
Kochert, Michael N. - Research Wildlife Biologist
Phone: 208-426-5201
Email: mike_kochert@usgs.gov
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