Survey of historical nesting territories and potential high-quality habitat for northern goshawks on the Kootenai National Forest

In 2005, the Montana Natural Heritage Program began surveying Northern Goshawk historical nesting territories on the Kootenai National Forest with the overall objective of gaining a clearer understanding of breeding goshawk populations and habitat association in order to better assist management and conservation of the species on the Forest. Surveying historical territories was the first priority in a multi-year project directed at eventually having Forest-wide systematic surveys of Northern Goshawk occurrence and habitat use. The second priority was to survey potential high-quality nesting habitat as identified by predictive models of old-growth habitat across the Forest. Seventeen historical territories and five potential high-quality habitat sites were surveyed on the Kootenai National Forest in three successive field seasons (2005-2007). This effort encompassed a total of 369 call stations covering approximately 6445 acres (10.07 square miles). Of the 17 historical territories surveyed, one territory was found to still be active. This territory, in Haines Gulch (Cabinet District), should be surveyed again in order to document nesting and determine reproductive success. Also, an auditory response to taped playback was made by an adult flying south over the East Fork Pipe Creek valley in the Purcell historical territory. A detailed follow-up search was completed with no nest found and no additional observations made. Further survey work in the vicinity may yield a new nest location. Of the 5 potential high-quality habitat parcels surveyed, a single visual-only response was made by an adult in the Beetle Creek area of Pete Creek drainage. This bird flew into the call station after taped playback and then flew out of the station area. An exhaustive search was made of the immediate vicinity for any evidence of nesting. However, no other observations were made and no additional responses to taped playback occurred. Further survey work in the Beetle Creek area may yield a new nesting location. Priorities for the future include: (1) continue surveying areas identified as having high-quality nesting habitat by predictive models; and (2) perform follow-up surveys in the vicinity of the positive responses in an effort to document continued nesting in those areas.