Home Range and Habitat Use of Suburban Red-Shouldered Hawks in Southwestern Ohio

Causes of Mortality and Failure at Suburban Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Nests1

“…Two other birds (1 male, 1 female) never used riparian/pond habitats because these habitats were not within their home range. Dykstra et al (2001b) found Red-shouldered Hawks preferred natural habitats of forest, and wet areas and avoided suburban habitats when perching even though suburban areas made up more than 50% of their home range. Several studies reported small non-forested wet areas as primary foraging sites (Bent 1937, Stewart 1949, Portnoy 1974, Bednarz 1979, Kimmel and Fredrickson 1981.…”

“…data), or in mature riparian areas (McCrary 1981). Dykstra et al (2001b) found a variety of results while tracking Red-shouldered Hawks in a suburban setting in Ohio. One female spent 46% of her time in riparian/pond habitats.…”

“…Breeding range overlap between neighboring pairs usually varied from 6 to 11 % (McCary 1981, Dykstra et al 2001b. A study of seven Redshouldered Hawks on Lakewood District, Nicolet National Forest, 1989Forest, -1992, had breeding range sizes of 175 ha and 254 ha (438 and 635 acres) for the two most accurately determined ranges (J.…”

“…data). In suburban habitat of Ohio, Dykstra et al (2001b) found ranges, calculated using the adaptive kernel method (95% isopleth), averaged 90 ha for the breeding season, 189 ha for the non-breeding season, and 165 ha for the year-round home range (n= 11 for breeding season, n= 9 for non-breeding season). Males and females did not differ in range size.…”

“…(See also Migration and Non breeding period above.) Non migratory Red-shouldered Hawks in MD, California and Ohio remain on their breeding range or expand it slightly during the non-breeding season (Senchak 1991, McCrary et al 1992, Bloom et al 1993, Dykstra et al 2001b). Red-shouldered Hawks in southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri would probably behave similarly to the non-migratory ones cited above.…”