GPS tracking informs nest reserve design for an endangered raptor, the grey goshawk (Tachyspiza novaehollandiae), in hostile anthropogenic landscapes

David A. Young; James B. Kirkpatrick

doi:10.1071/ZO24025

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 73(2)

GPS tracking informs nest reserve design for an endangered raptor, the grey goshawk (Tachyspiza novaehollandiae), in hostile anthropogenic landscapes

David A. Young

^A ^* and James B. Kirkpatrick ^A ^†

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 5, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: d.young@utas.edu.au

^† Deceased, October 2024. Responsible for Methodology and Supervision.

Handling Editor: Laura Wilson

Australian Journal of Zoology 73, ZO24025 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO24025

Submitted: 17 September 2024 Accepted: 17 February 2025 Published: 14 March 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

We used GPS telemetry to investigate space use and movements of 15 grey goshawks (Tachyspiza novaehollandiae) in south-east Tasmania, Australia, between 2021 and 2023. The number of nests per territory in 73 active breeding territories was also determined and inter-nest distances were calculated. Mean minimum convex polygon (MCP) non-breeding season home range size of female goshawks was more than twice as large as the mean breeding season home range size. Home range size of males was similar in the breeding and non-breeding seasons and the MCP estimates suggest their home ranges are much larger than that of females. Tracked goshawks were range residents throughout the year with kernel density (KD) core areas centred on nest trees and preferred foraging locations. Movement patterns were highly recursive although some individuals occasionally undertook long range excursions away from their nests. Mean number of nests per goshawk breeding territory was 2.0 (range 1–6). Median distance between nests in breeding territories was 78.0 m (range 1.8–915.0 m). We recommend that prescriptive nest reserves for grey goshawks be implemented based on our 50%, 75% and 95% KD core area estimates for females in the breeding season. We provide a conceptualised example of a nest reserve design.

Keywords: endangered raptor, goshawk, GPS, home range, kernel density, nest reserve.

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