Breeding density and nest site selection in a GoshawkAccipiter gentilispopulation of the Central Apennines (Abruzzo, Italy)

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Abstract
Information on forest vegetation structure immediately around a Goshawk's nest can indicate the minimum forest stand surface necessary to be conserved or created to favour Goshawk settlement and help solve potential conflicts between timber harvest and maintenance of a viable Goshawk population. In order to gain greater insight into this species and to contribute to a correct policy for managing forests, Goshawk nest site characteristics were examined at three levels of scale (nest/nest trees level, nest site level, landscape level). The breeding density recorded in the study area is 5.03 sites/100 km2. The nests were found on north- and east-facing slopes and in the central part of the tree canopy. The average values of crown height and surface diameter at breast height (dbh) were higher than the corresponding values recorded in nest plots. The average values of dbh, tree height, height of trunk without branches, crown height, crown length, crown breadth, crown basal area, crown volume, distance between trunks and plot centre canopy cover were significantly higher in nest plots than in control plots. Some characteristics of the nest site were consistent among nest sites even though analysis of the landscape surrounding the nest site showed a great variety of habitat composition and structure.
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