How, and Why, Is the Goshawk (accipiter Gentilis) Affected by Modern Forest Management in Fennoscandia?

-•The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a common raptor in the boreal forest of Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden and Finland), with a present breeding density of about 3 pr/100 km 2 of forest area. Several independent studies show that goshawk populations in Fennoscandia have declined by 50-60% from the 1950s to the 1980s. This decline coincides in time with an intensification of forest management, which has changed the forest landscape. Among other effects, forests are more fragmented and the proportion of old forest is decreasing. Neither pesticide use nor persecution can explain the goshawk decline. However, changes in habitat and prey populations are both important factors that are affected by forestry. Goshawks need only a small patch of suitable habitat for nesting, but for their foraging home ranges cover 2000-6000 ha, and in boreal forest areas they prefer large patches of mature forest. I suggest that changes in the boreal forest landscape have resulted in a deterioration of goshawk hunting ranges, making it more difficult for them to secure adequate food for breeding. This factor is more important than a shortage of suitable nest sites. Declining prey densities (e.g., grouse) may be associated with forestry and is also an important factor that may affect goshawk numbers.