275 



Raptors 



Twelve species of hawks and three species of owls were observed 

 on the study area. Nine of these were known or suspected 

 breeders. Thirteen nests, excluding kestrel nests, were 

 located on or near the study area (Table 159 and Figure 120). 

 Red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, and great-horned owls 

 were the most common breeding raptors. Nine species of 

 raptors (excluding kestrels) were observed migrating or wintering 

 on the study area (Figure 121). Additional raptor species 

 were found as migrants or nesters in the region by Lockhart, 

 McEneaney and Hartln (1977). 



The ";o3hawk, golden eagle, bald eagle, osprey, prairie falcon, 

 and oeregrine falcon are listed by Flath (198I) as species of 

 special interest or concern in Montana. The golden eagle, 

 bald eagle, osprey, prairie falcon, and peregrine falcon are 

 also listed as species of high federal interest. The status 

 of each of these within the study area is as follows: 



Goshawk - Several migrants were observed. Goshawks and 

 other acclplters may nest in the study area, but they 

 are hard to observe in the dense timber stands they prefer. 

 Goshawks are known to breed in the Wolf Mountains to the 

 west of the study area. 



Golden eagle - McEneaney and Lockhart (1979) studied the 

 golden eagle population in an area that included the 

 southern half of the Tongue River Dam study area. Two pairs 

 of eagles use parts of the study area by the reservoir. A 

 third pair was located outside of their study area in the 

 northern part of the Tongue River Dam area. Therefore, 

 Darts of three eagle territories are within the study area, 

 but the study area is too small and narrow to support an 

 entire eagle territory. Four nests were located in or near 

 the study area (Table 159). Two of the nests belong to one 

 pair. 



Bald eagle - Bald eagles were present on the study area 

 through the winter. They appeared to concentrate in two 

 small areas (Figure 121), probably due to the presence of 

 ODen water. 



Osprey - One pair of ospreys nested at the southern end of 

 the reservoir in both years. They were unsuccessful in 

 bringing off young. In past years, two pairs of osprey 

 have inhabited the reservoir area (Lockhart, McEneaney, 

 and Hartlng 1977). In an attempt to provide nest less 

 susceptable to wind damage, biologists from Peter Klewit 

 and Sons constructed several nest platforms around the 

 reservoir during the winter of 198O-8I. They placed one 

 of these in the tree used for nesting in 198O. The ospreys 

 used this nest again in I98I. After it failed, they 

 constructed a frustration nest on another nest platform. 



