Laurie Goodrich (Director of Education for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary)

2. SHORT-EARED OWL NORTHERN HARRIER
Endangered in Pennsylvania Threatened in Pennsylvania

3. AMERICAN KESTREL BARN OWL
Populations declining
in Eastern North
America
Declining in
Pennsylvania

4. 1984-1989
(220 blocks)
2004-2008
(117 Blocks)
PA BREEDING BIRD ATLAS MAPS

5. American Kestrel Migration Counts
at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 1966-2010
1990s: 637 birds annually
2000s: 462 birds annually 27% Decline
1974-2004
-1.6% per yr
1994-2004
-4.8% per yr
Linear trend (1966-2010): -1.34%/year, p=.0000

6.  Linear trend: -1.5%/year, p=.0000
Similar decline to kestrel

7. 30
50
70
90
110
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
Pairs of American Kestrels Breeding in
Hawk Mountain Nest Boxes
1992-2007

8. Reasons for Decline
Loss of habitat

9. Conversion of hayfields to row crops
GMO-Row crops ?

10. Development

11. Tree Cavities….. Historically
where Barn Owls and American
Kestrels nested
Loss of Nesting Sites
Removal of dead trees

12. …now Barn Owls
are more
associated with
nesting in barns
and silos than
trees.

13. Pesticide/Rodenticide Use
• Reduction of insect and rodent prey
• Secondary Poisoning (e.g., brodifacoum)
• Bioaccumulation of chemicals
Habitat Fragmentation
• Forcing the use of sub-par habitat
• increased predation by forest hawks and owls

14. They prey upon
common farm
pests like insects,
mice and voles.

15. A family of Barn Owls can consume up to 3,000
rodents in one breeding season

16. Joint effort of:
• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
• Pa Wild Resource Conservation
• Program & cooperating
• with Penn. Game Commission
Goal = Reach out to landowners to:
• Enlist their help in locating the nests of four raptor
species of concern:
 American Kestrel, Northern Harrier, Short-eared Owl,
Barn Owl
• Encourage farmland owners to join the effort to
conserve these raptors

17. Red = Breeding - Blue = Wintering - White = Migration

19. New web pages and brochures
Contacted birdwatchers to
report nesting season sightings
Gave programs at Agriculture Meetings,
Fairs, Farm Show
Press releases, articles, interviews, etc.
Began working with state diversity
biologists & recruited volunteers

20. 200+ landowners or interested people putting
up boxes, reporting sightings, etc.

21. Look for farmland raptors on your property
Report your sightings!

22.  Fill out the form found on the back of the
Farmland Raptor Project Brochure and mail
to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
 Or fill out the online form at our website:
www.hawkmountain.org/farmlandraptors
 For information contact:
 Dr. Laurie Goodrich
Senior Monitoring Biologist
goodrich@hawkmtn.org
570-943-3411 ext. 106

23. BARN OWL BOXAMERICAN KESTREL BOX
Report their locations to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

24. • Mount on barns, silos, trees or
poles
• A minimum of 15 feet high
• Entrance facing large open fields
• Can be mounted inside with
entrance cut in outside wall

25. • Mount on barns, trees, or posts
• 8 to 20 feet from the ground
• Entrance facing open area greater than 1 acre
• Place at least 50 yards from wooded areas

26.  Increase acreage of grass, hay, or pasture
 Participate in programs that provide financial aid for
habitat restoration: CREP, WHIP

28. DELAY MOWING UNTIL JULY
NORTHERN HARRIER NEST

30. New second-generation pesticides are LETHAL to
raptors and other wildlife!
Let FARMLAND RAPTORS be your natural pest control
agent! Barn Owls eat hundreds of rodents!
If you must use a rodenticide
use first-generation
rodenticides only.

32. Contact us with questions or sightings at:
Email: info@hawkmountain.org
Phone: 570-943-3411 x 106
By mail:
Hawk Mountain Farmland Raptor Project
1700 Hawk Mountain Road
Kempton, PA 19529.