clearcutting; forest management; habitat selection; home range size; plantation; prey; raptor

Winter habitat use of New Zealand falcons (Falco novaeseelandiae ferox) in an intensively managed pine plantation, central North Island, New Zealand

Deforestation and conversion to intensive agriculture historically caused a large reduction in abundance of the New Zealand falcon, resulting in its current classification as At Risk. Many New Zealand falcons occur in managed plantation forests, but little is known about their winter use of the mosaic of different aged stands present in these forests. We radio tracked adult falcons (n = 36) during three winters (2012–2014) in Kaingaroa Forest, an intensively managed pine plantation located in the Central Plateau of the North Island of New Zealand. We