WASHINGTON (CN) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to list the British Columbia distinct population segment of the Queen Charlotte goshawk as threatened, except on the Queen Charlotte Islands where the agency proposes to list it as endangered, under the Endangered Species Act.
The primary threat to the goshawk is its small population and the impact of logging on its prey populations. As additional forest is logged, habitat quality will continue to decline as will prey species, reducing its nesting success. Ultimately, this is expected to result in even smaller populations than currently occur (352 to 374 breeding pairs).
Smaller populations would become increasingly vulnerable to factors such as predation, disease, prey fluctuations, hybridization, and inbreeding depression. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requests public comment on the proposed listing.
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