2019

Thirty New Northern Goshawk Nests have been Found in LVM Forests This Year

Regular northern goshawk monitoring carried out by environmental experts of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) allows monitoring the success of nesting of the protected bird. This year, 30 new northern goshawk nests have been found in the forests managed by JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM). A total of 132 northern goshawk areas were inspected in the course of the monitoring; of them 84 were occupied, while 44 were successful nesting sites.

“As compared to the previous years, the number of northern goshawk territories and successful nests occupied by northern goshawks has increased in 2019. This year, the nesting success was good as well: almost three baby birds per successful nest,” says Aigars Kalvāns, LVM Environmental Expert.

The largest number of areas inhabited by northern goshawks was recorded in Western Vidzeme and Zemgale regions - 16 in each of these regions. This year, five northern goshawk nests were occupied by another species of bird, the common buzzard. Northern goshawks, on the other hand, inhabited two nests of the lesser spotted eagle.

There is a significant number of rare and protected species nesting in LVM areas, the majority of them such as the golden eagle, the white-tailed eagle, the osprey, the lesser spotted eagle, the northern goshawk, the black stork, and the capercaillie live in the forests managed by the company.

LVM Environmental Experts carry out regular bird monitoring to obtain information on the living conditions of bird species and to reduce the impact of forestry activities on the living conditions of rare and protected species.

Monitoring allows following the achievement of identified environmental objectives and, if necessary, to justify changes in forest management practices to minimise environmental impacts.  As concerns bird species, monitoring results show population dynamics, development trends, and total numbers in Latvia.