Raptors of the Hanford Site and nearby areas of southcentral Washington

Technical Report · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6451483· OSTI ID:6451483

Fitzner, R E; Rickard, W H; Cadwell, L L; Rogers, L E

This report is concerned with the birds of prey which use the Hanford Site not only during the nesting season but throughout the year. An ecological treatment of five nesting owls (great horned, long-eared, short-eared, barn and burrowing) and five nesting hawks (marsh hawk, red-tailed hawk, Swainson's hawk, prairie falcon and American kestrel) is provided and supportive information on non-nesting species is presented. Factors which control raptor densities and population dynamics throughout all seasons of the year are discussed. Information is also provided for raptors from other areas of southcentral Washington in order to yield a comprehensive picture of how the Hanford Site fits in with regional bird of prey populations. The following were the objectives of this study: (1) to determine the numbers of birds of prey nesting on the Hanford Site, (2) to document the reproductive chronology of each nesting raptor species, (3) to provide analyses of food habits of birds of prey on the Hanford Site coupled with prey abundance data, (4) to determine the productivity of the dominant large birds of prey on the Hanford Site, (5) to determine the distribution and land use patterns of all raptors on the Hanford Site, (6) to determine the kinds and relative abundance of non-nesting raptors on the Hanford Site and adjacent areas of southcentral Washington (7) to document present land use practices on the Hanford Site and their effects on raptors, (8) to document radionuclide levels in birds of prey on the Hanford Site, and (9) to determine the role of birds of prey in radioecological monitoring.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6451483
• Report Number(s): PNL-3212; ON: DE81025119; TRN: 81-012342
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIRDS
ECOLOGY
HANFORD RESERVATION
CESIUM 137
DATA COMPILATION
DIET
FECES
HABITAT
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PRODUCTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
REPRODUCTION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510100* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)
510302 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)