We are excited to announce the publication of a new research article for an upcoming movement ecology issue in the Journal of Raptor Research. In this paper, we detail the migratory behavior and plumage variation of GPS-tracked adult Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) that summered in Alaska, USA.
We found significant levels of migratory connectivity among Alaska’s Red-tailed Hawks. Individuals that spent the breeding season in northern Alaska were more likely to migrate longer distances to overwintering locations in the Great Plains, USA, while individuals that spent the breeding season in southern Alaska were more likely to migrate shorter distances to overwintering locations in southwestern Canada and the western USA. We also noted significant differences in migratory routing between the two regions.
In addition, the standardized photographs for the 22 adults in this study strengthen our understanding of the plumage diversity present in Alaska. While we mostly tracked individuals with predominately B. j. harlani phenotypes, we also sampled several individuals that did not match the typical description of B. j. harlani and may represent gene flow from neighboring subspecies.
This paper was a collaborative effort among the University of Idaho, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Michigan State University, University of Kansas, HawkWatch International, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can download a PDF of the full paper here: https://rapt.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/rapt/aop/article-10.3356-jrr2513/article-10.3356-jrr2513.xml
Also, be sure to check out our new publications page for links to our published research!
Red-tailed Hawk Project 