Distances Between Birthplace and Breeding Place in Sparrowhawks and Other European Raptors
Abstract
Raptors that have been studied tended to settle and breed in the neighbourhood where they were born, and band recoveries (and hence dispersed birds) fell off exponentially in successive circles out from the birthplace. Within species, geographical or annual differences in dispersal distances occurred, probably dependent on the distribution of food sources and of vacant territories. Individuals in some irruptive populations tended to disperse further than those in other populations. In European Sparrowhawks and Hobbies, females dispersed further on average than did males.