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The 2010 ferruginous hawk inventory and population analysis

Description

The ferruginous hawk is a large raptor within the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta; inhabiting areas dominated by native prairie. The provincial ferruginous hawk population has been estimated... More ≫

Description

The ferruginous hawk is a large raptor within the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta; inhabiting areas dominated by native prairie. The provincial ferruginous hawk population has been estimated every five years since 1982, except between the years 1993 and 1999. The population estimate is based on the number of active nests detected during each inventory year. During the 2010 inventory, a population estimate of 643 ± 169 breeding pairs of ferruginous hawks was calculated. This population estimate is similar to the 2005 estimate, which implies that the population is relatively stable at low numbers. Overall, Alberta's ferruginous hawk population still remains significantly lower than the 1992, and thus, it is essential to take management actions to assist with the recovery of this species.

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The 2005 ferruginous hawk inventory and population analysis

Description

Species such as the ferruginous hawk, which exhibit declining populations, clumped distribution or are spread out over a large geographical area, are especially difficult to determine accurate... More ≫

Description

Species such as the ferruginous hawk, which exhibit declining populations, clumped distribution or are spread out over a large geographical area, are especially difficult to determine accurate population estimates for. The ferruginous hawk is a "Threatened" species in Alberta. Inventories for the species were conducted in 1982, 1987, 1992 and 2000 with varying results between surveys and low precision. This prompted reviews of the survey methods and analysis in 2003 and 2005. Recommendations from these reviews were applied in 2005 to a new survey of the ferruginous hawk population and the changes which were implemented substantially increased the confidence in the population estimate. A population estimate of 618 pairs of ferruginous hawks was derived.

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