Goshawk

The goshawk is a large, fierce, and skillful raptor, or bird of prey. Its name is shortened from "goose-hawk," but it cannot kill geese. The goshawk preys upon rabbits, hares, rodents, and several game birds. Some people in India have trained the goshawk to attack gazelles so dogs can catch the fast-running animals.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Various (see below)

Species: Various (see below)

The goshawks are rare, shy birds of prey. Most belong to the genus Accipiter, but a few belong to Melierax, Micronisus, Erythrotriorchis, and Megatriorchis. Sparrowhawks also belong to this genus and are sometimes confused for goshawks. It lives mainly in forests, but its habitats may include areas of other vegetation with fewer trees or clearings and lakes and rivers. These forests may be coniferous (evergreen) or mixed deciduous (leaf-bearing). When a goshawk appears, it is often in flight while hunting prey. One sign of a goshawk nearby is a pile of skin, feathers, or bones beneath a tree where the goshawk has been eating.

The goshawk is a fierce hunter and flies swiftly, skillfully, and quietly among the trees after various prey. Rabbits, hares, rats, and squirrels are no match for the goshawk's talons. Gamebirds, such as grouse, pheasants, and partridges, and other birds, like pigeons and crows, are also frequent meals of the goshawk. The goshawk hides on its perch and then dives quickly to surprise its prey. The name goshawk was originally "goose-hawk," but the goshawk cannot kill a goose.

Male goshawks are slightly smaller than females. The female goshawk is around 25 inches (64 centimeters) long, weighs 5 pounds (2 1/5 kilograms), and has a wingspan of 50 inches (127 centimeters). Males and females have brown plumage, or feathering, on their backs and upper sides of their wings. From their throats to their tails, they have white and brown marked plumage. Orange or yellow piercing eyes make them look fierce, as do the long, curved talons on their large, yellow toes.

The male and female goshawk mate for life but often separate in the fall and spend the winter apart. Around April, the female goshawk soars and swoops over treetops to attract her male. The male may join her in a "sky dance" before they mate. The mating season lasts until June. After mating, the male builds a nest of twigs, leaves, and pine needles high on a fork of a tall tree. Occasionally, the female uses an old nest. The female lays three to five eggs over two to six days. She incubates the bluish-white eggs for five weeks before they hatch. While the male brings food for the female and young, the female broods the chicks, keeping them warm and protecting them. As the chicks begin eating more, both parents hunt to provide enough food so their young survive and fledge. Fledging is when the young develop their flight feathers and can try their new wings for the first time. This is about six weeks after hatching. The young goshawks are independent when they are about three months old.

Goshawks have an average lifespan of 7 years but may live up to 18 years.

Species include:

African goshawk Accipiter tachiro

American goshawk Accipiter atricapillus

Chestnut-shouldered goshawk Erythrotriorchis buergersi

Crested goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus

Doria's goshawk Megatriorchis doriae

Eastern chanting goshawk Melierax poliopterus

Eurasian goshawk Accipiter gentilis

Fiji goshawk Accipiter rufitorques

Grey-headed goshawk Accipiter poliocephalus

Little-banded goshawk Accipiter badius

Moluccan goshawk Accipiter henicogrammus

Pale chanting goshawk Melierax canorus

Red-chested goshawk Accipiter toussenelii

White-bellied goshawk Accipiter haplochrous

Bibliography

"Goshawk." British Trust forOrnithology, www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/goshawk. Accessed 1 May 2024.

"Goshawk." The Woodland Trust, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/birds/goshawk. Accessed 1 May 2024.