Causes of Dispersal in Northern Goshawks (Accipiter Gentilis) in Finland
Abstract Environmental quality has the potential to influence dispersal if cost of dispersing is outweighed by cost of staying. In that scenario, individuals experiencing different conditions in their natal area are expected to differ in their dispersal. Even if there is wide agreement that reasons...
| Published in: | The Auk |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press (OUP)
2003
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/120.3.706 http://academic.oup.com/auk/article-pdf/120/3/706/29689023/auk0706.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract Environmental quality has the potential to influence dispersal if cost of dispersing is outweighed by cost of staying. In that scenario, individuals experiencing different conditions in their natal area are expected to differ in their dispersal. Even if there is wide agreement that reasons behind the dispersal decision are multiple, it is often less clear what conditions actually add to the observed dispersal behavior. The scale at which the dispersal behavior is analyzed can also be of crucial importance for a correct understanding of the dispersal process. Furthermore, in long-lived species factors influencing dispersal behavior of juveniles may differ from those adding to dispersal of adults. Using 12 years of banding data (1989–2000), we studied dispersal behavior of Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) hatched over a wide area in Finland in relation to local demographic and ecological conditions. Hatching rank and hatching date added to the probability of leaving in the first place; whereas hatching date, local prey availability, and sex of the disperser were related to dispersal distance. Among adult birds (+3 years), none of the analyzed variables were related to distance; whereas the probability of remaining locally was related to local grouse density in the hatching year (for males only). Results show that the combined effects of factors working at several levels act together on dispersal behavior in Northern Goshawks and highlight the importance of studying different age classes separately in long-lived species. In summary, our results suggest that goshawk individuals distribute themselves spatially in parallel with factors determining the costs and advantages of dispersing where philopatry seems to be connected to factors positively associated with survival; but to test the validity of that idea, more data on fitness consequences of dispersal are needed. |
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