Abstract
We explored nest site placement and re-use relative to ornamental tree usage and urbanization level in a diurnal raptor community in southern California (USA) during three discrete time periods spanning five decades (1971–2018). Re-use of prior years’ nests varied among species, with Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) showing moderate re-use rates (ca. 30%), and Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus), and Cooper’s Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) showing almost none. Nearly all nests were in native and naturally-occurring trees during the 1970s, yet by 2018, most Cooper’s Hawk nests, and many Red-tailed Hawk nests, were located in ornamental vegetation such as pines (Pinus spp.) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.). The amount of urban cover around nest sites increased for Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks during the study period, but not for American Kestrels, which were confined to the least-urban areas. Cooper’s Hawks appear to now be selecting urban nest sites over wildland sites, based on the increase in surrounding urban cover, even as landscape urbanization has not substantially changed in the study area during the last two time periods. Our study illustrates the utility of long-term datasets in understanding how a species’ urban tolerance can change over time, and highlights species (including three extirpated taxa) that may be failing to adapt to local urbanization.
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Data availability
We are providing our data table of historical and recent raptor nests, and the R code used to generate the plots and conduct the statistical analysis, as supplementary data
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this research was provided by the UCLA Grand Challenge Grant and UCNRS Stunt Ranch Reserve Research Award. We thank Lena Lee (National Park Service) for providing historical raptor nesting data from the study area. Peter Bloom provided helpful comments early in the study. Ryan Harrigan, Noa Pinter-Wolman, Dana Williams, Gabriela Medeiros Pinho and Watcharapong “Win” Hongjamrassilp assisted with statistical analysis. Monica Dimson, Taylor Zagelbaum and Salvador Contreras assisted with GIS analysis. Clare Riley assisted with field data collection. We thank the Blumstein lab and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on previous versions of the MS.
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Cooper, D.S., Yeh, P.J. & Blumstein, D.T. Tolerance and avoidance of urban cover in a southern California suburban raptor community over five decades. Urban Ecosyst 24, 291–300 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-020-01035-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-020-01035-w