Final Environmental Impact Statement

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Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3 (Panjabi 2003). The species has been observed an average of three times per year since bird monitoring began in 2001 (Panjabi 2005). In 2011, an active sharp-shinned nest was found in site 030905-10 in the project area. Additionally, sharp-shinned hawks have been observed within the town of Custer (personal observation). Currently, the amount of potential nesting habitat (SS 3B and 3C pine) in the project area is 2,565 acres or 10% of the project area. Cooper’s Hawk (SOLC) The Cooper’s hawk has been observed in a variety of habitats in the Black Hills, including ponderosa pine, white spruce, riparian, shrublands, and burned areas (Panjabi 2001, 2003 and 2005; Peterson 1995). The species appears to be widespread but uncommon on the Forest. Bird monitoring over the past three years has yielded an average of about five sightings per year (Giroir et al. 2007). The Cooper’s hawk is considered a habitat generalist but typically requires wooded areas for nesting. The most common forest type in the Black Hills, ponderosa pine, is used for nesting in other areas of the species range (Stephens & Anderson 2002). The bird is known to nest in riparian, conifer, and aspen forests (Stephens & Anderson 2002). Stephens and Anderson (2002) analyzed the likely habitat preferences of the Cooper’s hawk on the Forest based on information from nearby regions. Range-wide, most pairs nest in patches of mature forest with moderate-to-high (i.e., 60 to 90 percent) canopy closure near openings (Stephens & Anderson 2002). Nest tree diameters are usually larger than what is randomly available. The Cooper’s hawk forages opportunistically across a diversity of habitats and preys on a variety of mid-sized birds and mammals (Stephens & Anderson 2002). In ponderosa pine, SS 4B (mature stands with 40 to 70 percent canopy closure) and SS 4C (mature stands with >70 percent canopy closure) correspond most closely to the nesting habitat preferences of the Cooper’s hawk. The Cooper’s hawk often nests near, and hunts, along forest edges and clearings. Riparian-woodland communities also provide potentially important habitat for the Cooper’s hawk. The Cooper’s hawk breeds throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Some birds may remain on their breeding ranges throughout the winter. In South Dakota, the Cooper’s hawk is considered “uncommon,” with the only recorded occurrences in the western part of the state (Peterson 1995). In Wyoming, it is regarded as a “common summer resident” (Luce et al. 1999). Active Cooper’s hawk nests (2) were discovered within the project area. Broad-winged Hawk (SOLC) The broad-winged hawk is one of eastern North America’s most common woodland hawks. It is generally associated with dry to wet deciduous, mixed, or occasionally coniferous forests (Johnsgard 1990). Broad-winged hawks forage in mature to oldgrowth forests, along forest streams, roads, and openings (Stephens & Anderson 2003). In the Black Hills, the broad-winged hawk nests primarily in ponderosa pine in mixed pine and deciduous habitats, occasionally with a white spruce component (Powder River Eagle Studies 2000). Although considered rare in both Wyoming (Luce et al. 1999) and 62
Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Chapter 3 South Dakota (Peterson 1995), the species was the second most frequently encountered raptor during surveys in 1996 and 1997 (Powder River Eagle Studies 2000). Of 27 broad-winged hawk nests found on the Forest, 25 were in ponderosa pine while one was in an aspen and one was in a paper birch. Nest trees had an average dbh of about 16 inches; canopy closure in nest stands averaged 66% with a range of 45 to 96% (Stephens & Anderson 2003). These nest-stand characteristics equate to SS 4B, 4C and 5. Nest sites typically were in areas with slopes
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Final Environmental Impact Statement

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