Red Goshawk - Australia (1 Viewer)

Old thread, but i was going to start a thread on this-has anyone ever actually seen one of these things?
Ive spent some time tracking some brown goshawks, which are virtually impossible to track-if there are that few of these things, across that kind of area, i was wondering if anyone has spent any time looking for them?

You just have to be in the right place at the right time, Vortex. And keep your ears to the ground - word of a Red Goshawk travels pretty fast.

There have been a few birds that, most unusually for this rare and secretive species, have been readily viewable. One of the best-known was the Mataranka bird, which nested three years running in a caravan park, and raised youngsters there each year. I was lucky enough to spend three days with this family back in 2003 (thanks for the tip, Mike!). Pictures at http://tannin.net.au/tropical.html#topend

The male never approached the nest and the only way you knew he was around was that the female sometimes brought back food he had caught for her. Doubtless she was catching others for herself as well. They are supposed to mainly take birds, however the only prey I got a decent look at was brown and furry - a rat or something similar. They fledged two youngsters that year. Watching the older one take his first flight was very special.

Of the Australian raptors, the really difficult ones are usually thought to be:

Grey Falcon
Red Goshawk
Letter-winged Kite
Black-breasted Buzzard


I regard a few others as also rather hard. (Not sure if most people would agree with me or not.)

Grey Goshawk
Square-tailed Kite
Black Falcon
Spotted Harrier

The first four listed .... I think you just go outback and especially up north and hope you get lucky. The Letter-winged Kite is a bit different: it apparently has very specialised habitat requirements and you just have to go to the right place .... if you can find the right place!

PS: David Hollands has some interesting things to say about them in his raptor book.

Tannin said:

You just have to be in the right place at the right time, Vortex. And keep your ears to the ground - word of a Red Goshawk travels pretty fast.

There have been a few birds that, most unusually for this rare and secretive species, have been readily viewable. One of the best-known was the Mataranka bird, which nested three years running in a caravan park, and raised youngsters there each year. I was lucky enough to spend three days with this family back in 2003 (thanks for the tip, Mike!). Pictures at http://tannin.net.au/tropical.html#topend

The male never approached the nest and the only way you knew he was around was that the female sometimes brought back food he had caught for her. Doubtless she was catching others for herself as well. They are supposed to mainly take birds, however the only prey I got a decent look at was brown and furry - a rat or something similar. They fledged two youngsters that year. Watching the older one take his first flight was very special.

Of the Australian raptors, the really difficult ones are usually thought to be:

Grey Falcon
Red Goshawk
Letter-winged Kite
Black-breasted Buzzard


I regard a few others as also rather hard. (Not sure if most people would agree with me or not.)

Grey Goshawk
Square-tailed Kite
Black Falcon
Spotted Harrier

The first four listed .... I think you just go outback and especially up north and hope you get lucky. The Letter-winged Kite is a bit different: it apparently has very specialised habitat requirements and you just have to go to the right place .... if you can find the right place!

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Hello Tanin.

I was lucky enough to have Square-tailed Kite almost dayly over my house on the South Coast. It appears that our area (The Eurobodalla Shire) boast 2-3 pairs nowdays. They are great birds.

I also see White Goshawks (both morphs) almost every month as well.

Never seen the others you've mentioned though.

Cheers,

Dimitris

Ha! Isn't life like that Dimitris? I saw Red Goshawk, Black-breasted Buzzard, Square-tailed Kite, Black Falcon, and even Grey Falcon before I saw my first Grey Goshawk - and even then. the one I saw was the (fairly rare) white morph, not the (relatively common) grey morph.

In fact, for me the Grey Goshawk was the second-last Australian raptor on the list ..... and it might be quite a while before I get to complete that list, as the one remaining species is the Letter-winged Kite - a tough ask and a very long way away from here.

Spotted Harrier was another one that I had to wait quite a while for, though I've seen a resonable number of them since, as was the Square-tailed Kite, which I first saw in south-west Western Australia. Wonderful bird! Their effortless flight through the treetops is just fantastic.

I've never birded up the south coast of NSW. Almost made it there over Easter, as there are about 6 birds I need in that area, but wound up heading back to the Pillaga and the country beyond Armidale once again. Sounds to me as though I better make it a priority!

Tannin said:

PS: David Hollands has some interesting things to say about them in his raptor book.

Click to expand...

Ill have to check that out, havent looked into this stuff much since jack and lindsay Cuppers remarkable book, many moons ago('hawks in focus' i think it was called).

Thats amazing, I wonder how they could ever get reliable population estimates though-their still around it seems, which is great.
Im not the sort of person who ticks these things off in a book, never got the "twitching" sort of mentality, bit like trainspotting or something.

That being said, ive spent a lot of time watching these things in their environments, its always great.
Short of pacific baza, grey falcon, black breasted buzzard, letterwing kite and red goshawk im certain ive spotted them all, but just ticking them off a list is a bit empty i think.

Spent a lot of time glassing kestrel's nests, lurking by sea eagles and ospreys, and a tiny amount of wasted effort trying to lurk in a goshawks terrritory ( just to be sure, it was neither nesting nor hunting in the area, which was actually my property as such-it rested there, a staging ground from my observation) along with the occasional australian hobby, which hunted starlings on nearby vineyards.

Well that's fantastic, and good to hear that not only are they still around, their are some knowledgable people around too.

I should mention tannin, in light of your response there, arent you concerned by egg collectors raiding these nests? It was very much in evidence, years ago, (a lot of years now, but i saw it myself) as much as id like to think the practice has died out...........it likely hasnt.

Whats your experience with that?

Oops, i didnt click on your previous link before, and come to think of it i'm certain i've heard the name -tannin isnt just a handle, is it?
Could be wrong, dont mind me.

You may be pleased to hear of little eagles supposedly being, if not increasing in number, more abundant in the act region national parks-first time in a long time, from what i gather .
Spotted harriers, first time i ever saw one was on the coocoran lake past walgett, they must have been nesting in the area-something about a flood prone 11km x7km seasonal lakebed must appeal to a harrier, the male and female just hung around the dead centre of it for a full two seasons way back when. Magnificent birds.

Tannin said:

Ha! Isn't life like that Dimitris? I saw Red Goshawk, Black-breasted Buzzard, Square-tailed Kite, Black Falcon, and even Grey Falcon before I saw my first Grey Goshawk - and even then. the one I saw was the (fairly rare) white morph, not the (relatively common) grey morph.

In fact, for me the Grey Goshawk was the second-last Australian raptor on the list ..... and it might be quite a while before I get to complete that list, as the one remaining species is the Letter-winged Kite - a tough ask and a very long way away from here.

Spotted Harrier was another one that I had to wait quite a while for, though I've seen a resonable number of them since, as was the Square-tailed Kite, which I first saw in south-west Western Australia. Wonderful bird! Their effortless flight through the treetops is just fantastic.

I've never birded up the south coast of NSW. Almost made it there over Easter, as there are about 6 birds I need in that area, but wound up heading back to the Pillaga and the country beyond Armidale once again. Sounds to me as though I better make it a priority!

Click to expand...

LOL Tanin. I've yet to travel inland or go to Western Australia so mant of those birds are yet to be seen.

If you do come to the coast I believe it is best to come spring or summer. The Square-tails leave for the winter. I really miss the panic they would cause to the rest of the birds (amlost like an alarm telling me that they are around.)

As for Grey Goshawk well anywhere with wet forest down here is good for them. I know of at least 2 locations around Bateman's Bay and Surfside were there's a reasonable chance for a sighting. (also Brown Gosh. and Collared Spawk as well. (and Sooty Owl too but that's even harder (for me))


Anyways I've divereted this thread enough...

Cheers,

Dimitris

Dimitris said:

As for Grey Goshawk well anywhere with wet forest down here is good for them. I know of at least 2 locations around Bateman's Bay and Surfside were there's a reasonable chance for a sighting. (also Brown Gosh. and Collared Spawk as well. (and Sooty Owl too but that's even harder (for me))


Anyways I've divereted this thread enough...

Cheers,

Dimitris

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Not at all, all much the same-none are easy to find or observe.
Interesting, whats your definition of a "reasonable" chance? The only time ive seen these things up close, (less than 10metres, close enough for positive id) ive been sitting still, for some time, motionless. A sparrowhawk landed two and a half metres above my head on a branch, same with goshawks, ive found you luck out by stopping near a favourite perch, or its 30-40 metres plus , and you only see them leaving leaving at a rapid rate.

That doesnt include soaring, but thats not the best veiwing experience, especially with larger raptors, whistlers or black kites around.

vortex said:

Not at all, all much the same-none are easy to find or observe.
Interesting, whats your definition of a "reasonable" chance? The only time ive seen these things up close, (less than 10metres, close enough for positive id) ive been sitting still, for some time, motionless. A sparrowhawk landed two and a half metres above my head on a branch, same with goshawks, ive found you luck out by stopping near a favourite perch, or its 30-40 metres plus , and you only see them leaving leaving at a rapid rate.

That doesnt include soaring, but thats not the best veiwing experience, especially with larger raptors, whistlers or black kites around.

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Well when it's the right time of season:

Square-tailed Kite (on average) 2-3 times/week
White Gosh 1-3 times/week
Brown Gosh isn't common where I live (prolly replaced by White
) I've only seen 1 near my place but it's likely that it's more common
Collared Spawk again 1-3 times/week

Never had such a close encounter with a Collared Spawk, but did have this beauty less than 5 meters away from me...

Also one of the local/passage Square-tails...

Cheers,

Dimitris

Black-breasted Buzzard is pretty easy in the Broome area. Ask the guys at the Observatory, they'll put you on the right track. I saw quite a few of them during my time up there - even sometimes right over the Observatory but more often on Roebuck Plains station.

Not much heard about the beautiful rare Red Goshawk around these BF parts ... :brains: :h?:

How are they fairing ? :cat:

Reading through some of the earlier posts on this thread, things like the Little Eagles of Canberra are suffering due to urbanisation of former grassy woodlands ...... :-C

I'm forever hearing flocks of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Rainbow Lorikeets freak out as Square tailed Kites soar around --- I can only manage what sort of panic Red Goshawks would cause ! :eek!:

Have any visitors to our country seen them ...... ??




Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan said:

Reading through some of the earlier posts on this thread, things like the Little Eagles of Canberra are suffering due to urbanisation of former grassy woodlands ...... :-C

:

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Hi Chosun,

Apparently the Little Eagles have increased to 6 pairs from 1 a few years ago. It obviously got quite dire. There is plenty of habitat in ACT for them so I dont know what the constraint is. Certainly I found them easy enough to see in the centre last year at Jerrabomberra.

Cheers

James

Hotspur said:

Hi Chosun,

Apparently the Little Eagles have increased to 6 pairs from 1 a few years ago. It obviously got quite dire. There is plenty of habitat in ACT for them so I dont know what the constraint is. Certainly I found them easy enough to see in the centre last year at Jerrabomberra.

Cheers

James

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Hi James,

That's good news. They have been completely booted out of former known areas in Canberra, as the suburbs relentlessly expand by 10's of 1000's of dwellings over the decades.

Canberra regularly pops up on the "When Kangaroos Attack" thread with all manner of joggers, walkers, and cyclists having the cr*p beaten out of them by increasingly hemmed in Roos :eek!:

Even though Threatened /Vulnerable, when compared to the Red Goshawk, Little Eagles are about as common as house mice !

I look forward to hearing any tales of Red Goshawks on this thread wherever they occur in the country, and wonder how many visitors are lucky enough to see them? :cat:




Chosun :gh: