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<br />Soil Investigations for Data Collection in the Delta <br />Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration 63 <br />around each burrow being used during the nonbreeding season. The <br />buffers will be delineated by highly visible, temporary fencing or flagging. <br /> <br />Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) <br />Ferruginous Hawk is a USFWS Bird of Conservation Concern. The species is a <br />large, broad-winged hawk with a large head and pale underparts with rusty legs <br />that form a V when soaring. Ferruginous Hawks range from breeding grounds in <br />southern Canada to wintering grounds in Mexico. They overwinter in California in <br />grasslands and agricultural areas, including sagebrush flats, desert scrub, low <br />foothills surrounding valleys, and fringes of pinyon-juniper habitats. Ferruginous <br />Hawk forages in open, dry grassland habitats (Polite and Pratt 1999, Ng et al. <br />2017), also in open cultivated lands such as grain and hay crops, recently plowed <br />fields, and pastures. Nesting has not been recorded in California (CDFW 1999b). <br />Ferruginous Hawk is regularly observed in the winter, suitable foraging habitat is <br />present in the Study Area, and several occurrences have been documented <br />within 0.5 to 3 miles of Impact Areas, however no nesting occurs in California. <br />Therefore, Ferruginous Hawk has a moderate potential to occur within the Study <br />Area. Implementation of Mitigation Measures MM BIO-1 and MM BIO-6 would <br />reduce potential impacts to Ferruginous Hawk to: Less than Significant with <br />Mitigation Incorporated. <br /> <br />Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) <br />Swainson's Hawk is listed as Threatened under CESA. Swainson’s Hawk is a <br />medium-sized hawk with tapered wings that have contrasting light wing lining and <br />dark flight feathers (Bechard et al. 2010). It migrates from Central and South <br />America to breed in western North America, primarily in California and the Great <br />Basin. The Central Valley breeding population largely winters from Mexico to <br />central South America (Hull et al. 2008). Foraging habitat includes hay and alfalfa <br />fields, grassland, pastures, grain crops, and row crops; nesting occurs in mature <br />riparian woodland, roadside or isolated trees near foraging habitat; trees in urban <br />or rural neighborhoods are also used (Estep 1984, Schlorff and Bloom 1984, <br />England et al. 1997). Swainson’s Hawk forages in large open habitats, such as <br />hay and alfalfa fields, pastures, grain crops, and row crops primarily for small <br />mammals such as voles, but will opportunistically take invertebrates, small birds, <br />and reptiles. The species is monogamous and exhibits strong site fidelity to <br />nesting territories, occupying the same sites over many years (Hull et al. 2008). <br />Breeding occurs from late March to late August, with peak activity from late May <br />through July (CDFW 2006). <br />Swainson’s Hawk has a high potential to occur within the Study Area, as suitable <br />foraging and nesting habitat occurs in many locations within the Study Area and <br />there are many reported occurrences. Implementation of Mitigation Measures <br />MM AES-1, MM BIO-1 and MM BIO-11 would reduce potential impacts to <br />Swainson’s Hawk to: Less than Significant with Mitigation Incorporated.