ABSTRACT
Ecologically, accipiters are birds of forested or wooded country; they are absent from open regions. The sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, and the goshawk are the members of the genus occur in North American forests: the sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, and the goshawk. A census of nesting Accipiter involves determining the number of pairs or active nests per unit of area. Large home ranges and the dispersed nature of Accipiter territories require that study areas be large. Nesting begins with pair formation and ends when the young achieve independence and leave the nest sites. If the study concerns all of the species, begin the census efforts when all species have arrived and established territories. It is profitable to revisit regularly the areas searched. Revisits are especially productive during the post-fledging period when, because of the season-long collection of feces, molted feathers, pluckings, and the begging of the young, the nest sites are more obvious.
