Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Cooper's hawk--Iowa; Cooper's hawk; Iowa;
Abstract
The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was once a common nesting raptor in Iowa. Habitat destruction, pesticides and their residues, and human persecution have recently contributed to the decline of this species throughout its range. It is listed as an endangered species in Iowa by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. In 1988 and 1989, historic nesting areas were searched for nesting Cooper's Hawks. Areas with birds displaying breeding behavior were also searched for nests. Nests were observed to determine nesting success and productivity. Habitat characteristics were measured for 33 nests found between 1985 and 1989. Macrohabitat and microhabitat were defined as 200 ha and 0.04 ha areas, respectively, centered on the nest tree. These characteristics were compared to those from 30 Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) nests, and 33 randomly selected sites within the same USGS quadrangle. Canonical analyses revealed five variables that effectively partitioned habitats among the two species of hawks and the random sites: Distance to nearest forest edge, woodlot size, percent canopy cover, number of trees with dbh greater than 50 cm.
Year of Submission
1991
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Biology
First Advisor
Nixon Wilson
Second Advisor
Orlando Schwartz
Third Advisor
Daryl Smith
Date Original
1991
Object Description
1 PDF file (90 leaves)
Copyright
©1991 David John Conrads
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Conrads, David John, "Nesting Ecology of the Cooper’s Hawk in Iowa" (1991). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2381.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2381
Comments
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