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© 1997 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

Nesting-Tree Preference and Nesting Success of

Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks in Japan

Mutsuyuki Ueta
Research Center, Wild Bird Society ofJapan,
2-35-2 Minamidaira, Hino, Tokyo 1 91, Japan

Key Words: Accipiter gularis; Pinus densiflora; Japanese nese Lesser Sparrowhawks are important in predicting
Lesser Sparrowhawk; Japanese red pine, nesting success', nest tree future populations of this hawk in Japan, I examined the
preference. nest-tree preferences of Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks
and determined whether such preferences influence
Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks ( Accipiter gularis) breed nesting success.
throughout northeastern Asia (Brown and Amadon
Methods
1968). It has been shown that tree plantings in lowland
areas are important breeding sites for this hawk in Japan The study was conducted from 1987-94 at 16 groves
of trees in suburban areas of Tokyo. The groves were
(Endo et al. 1991) and these hawks mainly nest in Japa-
isolated and ranged from 1-4 ha in area. They were
nese red pines Pinus densiflora) (Endo and Hirano 1990,
(
mainly coppices composed primarily of Japanese chest-
Hirano and Kimizima 1992). Because prey abundance
nut oak Quercus acutissima), Storax Styrax japonica) and
( (
does not seem to be limiting (Hirano and Kimizima 1992,
Sawara cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera)
(
Ueta 1992), the availability of nest sites may be an im- To determine nest-site preference, use by sparrow-
portant factor limiting the population ofJapanese Lesser hawks and the availability of different tree species were
Sparrowhawks (Ueta 1996). Because nest sites of Japa- compared. I excluded nests in which the hawks did not