| Summary: | The increasing urban sprawl of Southern California threatens the natural habitats of native avifauna. Raptors are apex predators that serve important ecological functions even in urban ecosystems. Identifying and conserving the urban nesting habitat for these sensitive birds is critical to their conservation. This study uses GIS to analyze historical nest locations of Cooper's Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Great Horned Owl, Red Shouldered Hawk, and Red Tailed Hawk in the urban area of Los Angeles, California to predict nesting habitat. Statistical analysis of remotely sensed data suggests that the distribution of nest site locations is affected by topographical and ecological features in an urban environment. Predictive maps were created using the significant findings of the historical analysis, which show potential nesting habitat in the Los Angeles area. These maps show the urban environment of Los Angeles has the widespread ability to support avian apex predators.
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