The annual and diel cycles of Goshawk vocalizations at nest sites

I attempted to quantify seasonal and daily Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gent ilis) vocalizations at nest sites and identify their function. Both duratio n and number of calls showed significant differences among different period s of the year. The daily distribution of vocalizations differed through the breeding season both as a whole and in individual stages. My results sugge sted that the kek=kek=kek call may have two meanings as an alarm call and a s a call to excite mates. During courtship, vocal activity was most intense in the early morning (female fertile period), but during other stages of t he breeding season, vocal activity occurred throughout the day and was rela ted to parental care. My results suggested that vocalizations of goshawks f unction primarily in territorial defense, intra-pair communication, and pro tection of paternity of young. Young goshawks showed a rapid increase in th e duration of their total daily vocalizations within the first 10 d after f ledging. Afterward their vocalization rates decreased until 40 d after fled ging.