The Northern Goshawk laingi subspecies (Accipiter gentilis laingi) is a forest-dwelling raptor found throughout the Northwest coastal region of North America; it is very particular about its habitat selection, this means that the Goshawk is found almost exclusively in tree stands of 40 years or older. With such a selective choice of habitat it’s no wonder that the species is Classified as “Threatened” under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), the current scholarly body of knowledge surrounding the species suggests that its most significant threats are land use change and habitat loss derived from urbanization and industrial operations (Natsukawa, H., Mori, K., Komuro, S., Shiokawa, T., & Umetsu, J., 2020). In British Columbia, the most significant influence on the species is habitat loss caused by logging; reduced nest occupancy, productivity and fledgling survival rates are also negative consequences of logging within the Goshawk’s home ranges (Rodriguez, S. A., Kennedy, P. L., & Parker, T. H., 2016). Habitat loss is the primary threat on the species but the species is so sensitive that it is difficult to discern which variables effects the species more significantly. Infrastructure and human presence are two variables that this research isolated, and aims to analyze comparatively in order to discern their significance to the conservation of the Northern Goshawk.
Natsukawa, H., Mori, K., Komuro, S., Shiokawa, T., & Umetsu, J. (08/2020). Forest cover and open land drive the distribution and dynamics of the breeding sites for urban-dwelling northern goshawks Urban & Fischer.
Rodriguez, S. A., Kennedy, P. L., & Parker, T. H. (2016). Timber Harvest and Tree Size Near Nests Explains Variation in Nest Site Occupancy but Not Productivity in Northern Goshawks (accipiter gentilis). Forest Ecology and Management, 374, 220-229.