A Site Fidelity, Forestry and Raptor Conservation in Ukraine
Surveys were conducted in the Kharkiv region (Ukraine) in 2003-2014. The main aim was to study the effect of forestry to choose of nesting sites by raptors, as well as to identify the major threats arising in the forests with intensive forestry, develop recommendations to conservation. According to the study, three groups of species which have different reaction on the combination of factors related to forestry activities were determined. The first group contains species, which are showing considerable site fidelity and for them destruction of alternative nesting sites is especially negative. The second group includes more plastic species, but they need at least small tracts of old forest. The third group contains the species, which are little related to a specific area (low site fidelity) and age of the forest. In general. Birds of Prey under consideration prefer natural old-growth forests, quite tolerant of human disturbance and partial transformation of habitat as a consequence of selective logging.