Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Nest Defense Behaviors Of Goshawks (Accipiter Gentilis) From Finland And Montana, Marilyn Wright, Risto Tornberg, Dustin H. Ranglack, Nate Bickford

Biology Student Research

As human impacts on wildlife have become a topic of increasing interest, studies have focused on issues such as overexploitation and habitat loss. However, little research has examined potential anthropogenic impacts on animal behavior. Understanding the degree to which human interaction may alter natural animal behavior has become increasingly important in developing effective conservation strategies. We examined two populations of northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) in Montana and Finland. Goshawks in Finland were not protected until the late 1980s, and prior to this protection were routinely shot, as it was believed that shooting goshawks would keep grouse populations high. In the …