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Goshawk display (1 Viewer)

Torchepot

Well-known member
United Kingdom
Back in early March I was moaning about never having seen a displaying Goshawk on Ken M's
"Extralimital BOP" thread. I mentioned this to a mate out here and they told me of a nest site on private land that was being intermittently watched. My first visit drew a blank - though there were several other BOPs present.

Then in early April on a fine warm day with three other birders present the female came up from near the nest site.

This is on a wooded hillside viewed from the opposite ridge, several hundred metres away.

She performed the rollercoaster display repeatedly over about twenty minutes and I managed to keep her in the scope for almost the entire time. We also watched her hunting against the hillside opposite for several minutes.
I was on the lookout for the ID features that are usually quoted, but to be honest I struggled to convince myself that (in relation to Sparrowhawk) the head was more prominent and with a fast moving bird the rounded tail corners were hard to judge.

What was immediately obvious in this particular case was the size - close to buzzard, the crazy undertail coverts - almost encircling the tail and being described at the time as looking like "candy floss on a stick" and the flight. I've heard it said before but for me there was definitely something nightjar-like about it. Long pointed wings, a deliberate, quite slow, rowing action interspersed with short glides. The display itself was brilliant and quite dramatic - prompting lots of oohs, aahs, and even a few ooh la-las!

I tried to concentrate on the distinctive flight hoping that in future encounters with non displaying birds it would help with ID.

OK so far so good - at long last I'd seen something I've always wanted to see and got better views than I'd hoped for.

After she disappeared I set my scope on the trees where the nest is believed to be and some time later I picked up another bird, which came up from near the same spot.

Now things got interesting - a smaller, (but not much smaller) noticeably darker bird without the obvious "candy floss" undertail coverts. It flew along the ridge opposite for several minutes backwards and forwards over the nest site before gaining height and coming a bit closer before being lost to sight.
Having decided (rightly or wrongly) that the female Gos's flight was distinctive I concentrated hard on the action of the second bird. To me the flight action looked the same and not once in several minutes did I see the "flap-flap glide" which I associate with Sparrowhawk.

Once it was gone the others agreed that it was a Sparrowhawk - which really confused me.

When I asked them why they explained that it just wasn't "bulky" enough to be a Gos.

When I asked them about the flight action they pointed out that it was quite windy and that would affect it.

These guys have a lot of experience with Goshawk vs Sparrowhaw and I bow to their greater knowledge - but I found it quite discouraging that within minutes of prolonged views of a definite Goshawk I was left scratching my head over another Accipiter.

Anyway given the chance I know where I'll be next spring!

One nagging doubt in the back of my mind - if a Sparrowhawk flew repeatedly near a Goshawk's nest - wouldn't it get seen off? :eek!:

Cheers,

Phil
 
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From experience of seeing just that, the Goshawk would go out of its way to kill it.

There is a woodland nest up this way, and the Gosies have taken any and all raptors on. The female especially has zero patience for corvids either.

Spectacular to see, especially when she stoops from height and goes right through the target like a hot knife through butter.
 
Back in early March I was moaning about never having seen a displaying Goshawk on Ken M's
"Extralimital BOP" thread. I mentioned this to a mate out here and they told me of a nest site on private land that was being intermittently watched. My first visit drew a blank - though there were several other BOPs present.

Then in early April on a fine warm day with three other birders present the female came up from near the nest site.

This is on a wooded hillside viewed from the opposite ridge, several hundred metres away.

She performed the rollercoaster display repeatedly over about twenty minutes and I managed to keep her in the scope for almost the entire time. We also watched her hunting against the hillside opposite for several minutes.
I was on the lookout for the ID features that are usually quoted, but to be honest I struggled to convince myself that (in relation to Sparrowhawk) the head was more prominent and with a fast moving bird the rounded tail corners were hard to judge.

What was immediately obvious in this particular case was the size - close to buzzard, the crazy undertail coverts - almost encircling the tail and being described at the time as looking like "candy floss on a stick" and the flight. I've heard it said before but for me there was definitely something nightjar-like about it. Long pointed wings, a deliberate, quite slow, rowing action interspersed with short glides. The display itself was brilliant and quite dramatic - prompting lots of oohs, aahs, and even a few ooh la-las!

I tried to concentrate on the distinctive flight hoping that in future encounters with non displaying birds it would help with ID.

OK so far so good - at long last I'd seen something I've always wanted to see and got better views than I'd hoped for.

After she disappeared I set my scope on the trees where the nest is believed to be and some time later I picked up another bird, which came up from near the same spot.

Now things got interesting - a smaller, (but not much smaller) noticeably darker bird without the obvious "candy floss" undertail coverts. It flew along the ridge opposite for several minutes backwards and forwards over the nest site before gaining height and coming a bit closer before being lost to sight.
Having decided (rightly or wrongly) that the female Gos's flight was distinctive I concentrated hard on the action of the second bird. To me the flight action looked the same and not once in several minutes did I see the "flap-flap glide" which I associate with Sparrowhawk.

Once it was gone the others agreed that it was a Sparrowhawk - which really confused me.

When I asked them why they explained that it just wasn't "bulky" enough to be a Gos.

When I asked them about the flight action they pointed out that it was quite windy and that would affect it.

These guys have a lot of experience with Goshawk vs Sparrowhaw and I bow to their greater knowledge - but I found it quite discouraging that within minutes of prolonged views of a definite Goshawk I was left scratching my head over another Accipiter.

Anyway given the chance I know where I'll be next spring!

One nagging doubt in the back of my mind - if a Sparrowhawk flew repeatedly near a Goshawk's nest - wouldn't it get seen off? :eek!:

Cheers,

Phil

Phil I think your colleagues kinda hit the nail on the head when they mentioned "bulk".

This for me is an "operative" feature that I look out for, in other words (depending on proximity) If it ain't got bulk....then it probably ain't!

Females imo are straightforward, although from my experience rarely showy, males on the other hand (particularly when they are distant) can be problematic).

I believe that one of the reasons that they are not often seen, is that they generally hunt close to the ground, or threading through the canopy of the trees out of sight.

Certainly not as confiding as Sprawk can be, much more secretive, that said I've not seen interaction between the two species, although I hear that their tolerance of A.nisus is not very high....I can only presume that when, and if, their territories overlap, Sprawk beware!
 
Thanks guys,

The fact that I picked this bird up by watching the area of the nest and that no Gos put in an appearance worries me. Also the flight action just didn't look right for Sparrowhawk.

From these observations I agree with Ken - a female Gos - even seen at distance is fairly straightforward to ID, but a male is much more difficult.

One thing I have realised - the display was right by the nest site and only seen once in many hours of observation. To see my local birds displaying I really need to be in the right place at the right time - with a good viewpoint over the canopy - so maybe not so surprising that I've not witnessed it nearby.
 
Interesting thoughts on one of my favourite birds. Sounds like one of those birding times that will stick in the memory! I'm working hard trying to expand my Gos experiences (see blog...), but just seeing one out above the canopy demands luck and massive input of time. The ID does appear to get easier but distant birds are not always simple. In my - as I admit, limited - experience, the bulk that everyone bangs on about is not always so obvious in an isolated bird, but it is mostly males (less bulky than females) that I see, doing the foraging in the nesting season. Two key ID features for me. (1) I'm not saying the male Gos is not very distinctly bigger and bulkier than Spar, it is, but to me it is the "long-winged and narrow-handed" structure that stand out at a distance. Not only does the arm sector of the wing seem a little longer than in Spar, but the hand is typically narrow in relation to the secondaries giving the appearance of a distinct 'palm' to the hand, whereas the primaries of Spar often seem to be just stuck on the end of the wing; ie. little or no 'palm' to the hand. Through binoculars it is often difficult to discern the differences in the hand, unlike looking at a reasonable image, but the long-winged appearance seems almost always evident. (2) flight action in 'normal', ie. non-display movement: Gos flapping wing action is typically very 'deliberate', looking slow in relation to the frantic 'flickering' tempo of Spar. Of course that changes in an instant once something takes its interest. Incidentally, in the part of the Apennines where I am now there are Sparrowhawks nesting in the same small valley and they regularly overfly the Gos nest, in fact they can often be seen encouraging the foraging Goshawk to move on, so in the normal course of events they can coexist (no doubt Gos sometimes predate Sparrowhawks if times demand).
 
Hi Brian

I've bookmarked your Goshawk blog - lots of very interesting and useful stuff there :t:

You're right the display was one of those birding experiences I'll never forget - burned into the memory banks for ever!

I think that the often quoted - "if there's any doubt it's a Sparrowhawk" gives the impression that there should be no doubt when a Goshawk is encountered. Forsman also states that separation is "pretty straightforward with some experience".

For many birders this is not so easy - even trying to see a Goshawk can be a challenge - then there's the problem that birds are often distant, moving fast and maybe just a silhouette against the sky.

The other thing that is apparent after looking at many images of the two species is that they can look different at different moments - depending on the angle and what the bird is doing.

Removing the captions from images where the identity is known - particularly of more distant birds - I don't think too many people would get every one right every time.

Cheers,

Phil
 
- even trying to see a Goshawk can be a challenge -

So true, I've just spent over seven hours today staring at wooded hillsides surrounding the nest site without catching sight of the foraging male. Seems he typically flies a considerable distance among the treetops when leaving the site before gaining height, and favours you with a brief distant glimpse - if you're lucky enough to be looking in the right direction!
Cheers, Brian
 
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