The Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is currently the only diurnal raptor in Taiwan
that is expanding its breeding range from natural and rural habitats into urbanized areas. In order to
understand the characteristics of the breeding habitat of Crested Goshawks in the city, we searched
for their nests in trees of parks, campuses, and streets in the Taipei urban area by way of walking
surveys, recorded the reproductive stage, and measured features at nest trees, the green space
where the nest tree was located, and macro habitat levels. For parks with no breeding records,
virtual nest trees were selected for the same measurements as a control group for comparison. In
2020 and 2021, 88 and 107 sampling sites were surveyed, and 10 and 12 Crested Goshawk nests
were recorded, respectively. Results of the study showed that on the macro habitat level, Crested
Goshawk nesting habitats in urban Taipei usually included large areas of forest cover, and forested
areas within radii of 300 and 150 m were influential predictors of Goshawk nest site selection. In
green spaces where Crested Goshawks nested, the nest sites were less urbanized (with lower coverage
of man-made pavement and greater distances from roads and buildings) and closer to stable
water sources. From the characteristics of the nest trees, compared to virtual nest trees of the control
group, the diameter at breast height and crown diameter of nest trees of Crested Goshawk were
relatively smaller. Our findings suggest that in urban forest management, creating or maintaining
large areas of forests with small, available water sources in the environment will provide habitats
for breeding Crested Goshawks.