Breeding Responses of Raptors to Jackrabbit Density in the Eastern Great Basin Desert of Utah
Journal
Raptor Research
Volume
13
Issue
1 (Spring)
Year
1979
Pages
1-14
Section
Scientific Papers
Online Text
Abstract
The relationships between a collective breeding raptor population of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), the Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis), and the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and its main prey base, the black-tailed jackrabbit, is examined. By biomass, the jackrabbit is the single most important food item in the diet of each of the raptor species. Populations of each raptor species varied synchronously with jackrabbit abundance. Excepting Redtailed Hawks, reproduction and operative breeding season mortalities were influenced by jackrabbit abundance. The role of the central Utah environment in dictating patterns of raptor response to its staple prey base is considered.
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