Damian Wiehle, Jakub Wyka, Marcin Matysek, Piotr Sobas, Bartłomiej Kusal, Łukasz Kajtoch
Ornis Polonica 2020, 61: 47–56
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2020.1.3
Abstract: The Northern Goshawk is a widespread top predator in Poland, whose numbers declined over the last two decades. This study summarizes the current (2014–2015 and 2019) distribution and numbers of the Goshawk in two neighbouring areas of central Little Poland: the Niepołomice Forest (a compact forest complex of an area of about 106 km2) and the Western Carpathian Foothills (fragmented forests of the total area of about 80 km2). In the Niepołomice Forest 13–20 occupied territories (1.2–1.9 ter./10 km2) were found indicating a stable population size, compared to the data from the 1980s–2000s. At the Carpathian Foothills 16–23 territories were found (2.0–2.9 ter./10 km2), but the population trend is difficult to asses due to the lack of comparable data from the past. Despite the different forest structure, the average distances (2.3 km) between the Goshawk territories were similar in both studied areas. Due to the role of the Goshawk as a top predator in forest ecosystems, there is a need for large-scale monitoring of the species.
Keywords: Accipitridae, forests, Niepołomice Forest, raptors, territories, Western Carpathian Foothills
