Raptors as Goshawk prey (1 Viewer)

[mike from ebbw]

I was out walking the dog yesterday in a wood I know where there is a resident female Goshawk.She has been there a couple of years now and has had a pretty impressive prey species (Grey Squirrel,Raven,Gulls,Magpie etc).Yesterday I came across two new kill species (at least for this bird.).The one was a Tawny Owl and the other was a Common Buzzard.I have heard of them taking raptors before (Sparrowhawk,Kestrel,Peregrine) and was wondering how common it is for them to take birds of prey?

 

[Capercaillie71]

Probably not that uncommon, although corvids, pigeons, squirrels etc. are always going to form the bulk of their prey.

There's a paper on intra-guild predation among raptors here, which includes some of the species which at least perceive Goshawks as predators:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121384196/HTMLSTART

Buzzard, Honey Buzzard and Kestrel are listed as some of the potential prey species.

 

[Capercaillie71]

There's also this paper which implicates Goshawks in localised declines of Kestrels and SE Owls and mentions that six species of raptor comprised 4.5% of Goshawk prey items during the breeding season:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118831114/abstract

 

[DaveN]

It just goes to show how powerful these birds are if they can take down Buzzard, Peregrines Owls and Raven. Wouldn't mind witnessing Goshawk taking one of the above, It would be an awesome sight.

 

[fugl]

Interesting. BNA-online in its account of the Northern Goshawk--dated 1997, 6 years before the northern English research was published--doesn't even mention other birds of prey as items in the goshawk diet, though it does note that various BOPs (up to Great Horned Owl & Red-tailed Hawk in size) are sometimes "struck" or "killed" in territorial disputes or in the nesting season when getting too close to the nest. In my only personal experience with a Goshawk nest (in the mountains of eastern California years ago) I was repeatedly swooped at by the loudly "kak-kak-kakking" male (but not struck, thank God!). The only prey remains I found during the several visits I made to the nest were Steller's Jay feathers & a few lagomorph fragments (cottontail or jack rabbit) scattered around a plucking post.

 

[nirofo]

In the early days of the re-colonisation of Goshawks in the Uk (late sixties - early seventies), in an area where a particular Gos nest was under 24 hour watch, they just about wiped out the local population of Long-eared and Tawny Owls.

nirofo.

 

[pe'rigin]

It's a simple food chain, Tawny Owls are not adverse to taking the odd BOP, it just that the Goshawk is a lot bigger, so has a wider choice of delicacy.

These birds seem to be spreading, from the New Forest into West Sussex.

 

[mike from ebbw]

Many thanks for your input folks,much appreciated.
That paper makes for interesting reading.Thanks for the link.

 

[luke]

I've heard of them taking Buzzard and i've even heard of remains of an adult Honey Buzzard in a nest!

 

[Xenospiza]

Apparently Hobbies have taken quite a beating in (parts of) the Netherlands because of the increase in Goshawks. I should add that on my previous local patch, both were quite commonly seen.

 

[mark richards]

is it just to get rid of the opposition...take out the other raptors, mo food for me? I've also heard that the males stay away from the females otherwise he will end up on menu...

 

[mike from ebbw]

is it just to get rid of the opposition...take out the other raptors, mo food for me? I've also heard that the males stay away from the females otherwise he will end up on menu...

I wouldnt have thought so Mark as a Goshawk is a hunter whereas the Buzzard is a scavenger so there is no realistic competition for food there.I was just wondering how common it is for raptors to be taken as prey.

 

[Himalaya]

I think it is a bit unfair to call the Buzzard a scavenger - its known more as a hunter. They do scavenge - even Goshawks have been to known to eat carrion. The numbers and range of Buzzards drop when Rabbits got Mymatosis (dont know the correct spelling). i have heard of times when Buzzards have ignored/shunned road kills - the number of pheasant carcasses on a particular stretch of motorway where 2 pairs of buzzards nested, did not change. The Buzzards could have easily lifted the carcasses rather than hunt. Most Buzzards I see are of them actively hunting - twice I have seen Buzzards with rabbit in the talons - did not see them hunt it but im guessing they did.

Are Honey Buzzards and Buzzards strong enough to fight off Goshawks? If they were found in the nest what are the chances that the male hunted them? is nt it the male that does most of the hunting at first? Buzzards are slow but they look very robust birds - one bird being mobbed by dozens of Corvids including Ravens must say something about the bird right?
Buzzards are on average smaller than female Goshawks but they have a longer and broader winspan.

i was going to ask about Red Kites but those links Capercaillee posted, aleady mention them.

i have a friend who is a Falconer and he has 4 birds once - 1 fem Goshawk and some Peregrines and Sakers - the Goshawk managed to somehow eat the other 3. I have heard that Goshawks can at times kills Eagle Owls but these would be exceptional - unless it was a large fem Goshawk and a male Eagle Owl?
What if there was a female Gyr Falcon and a female Goshawk? Who would have the upperhand? is it the nature of the Gos which makes it such a lethal bird? They are one of the few BOPs I have heard of running after prey such as Hares. I dont think a Gyr Falcon could do that right?

I dont think theres anything impressive about Goshawks eating tawny Owls, Corvids, Ravens, Squirrels. More exciting birds for them to tackle would be Red Kite, Capercaillee, Geese, Heron, G B B Gulls, Skuas. Goshawk vs Great Skua anyone? Even Ravens can kill Hares and G B B Gulls can kill up to Herring Gull sized birds.

What are the largest birds and mammals a male Gos can kill?

 

[Capercaillie71]

I have heard that Goshawks can at times kills Eagle Owls but these would be exceptional

I think the opposite is more likely! There is evidence that a healthy Eagle Owl population can reduce the density of breeding Goshawks by up to a half in some circumstances. This is probably mostly by nest site competition in areas where there are few cliff sites for Eagle Owls, but predation, particularly of young Goshawks, is also documented:

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kgroup/publications/pdf/Rutz etal 2006 StudAvianBiol 31 text.pdf

More exciting birds for them to tackle would be Red Kite, Capercaillee, Geese, Heron, G B B Gulls, Skuas.

Goshawks are certainly the main predator of adult Capercaillies in Scandinavia, although it is primarily females that they take.

 

[razorsharp]

Gyr Falcons can tackle Hares.

 

[derelict]

Yesterday I came across two new kill species (at least for this bird.).The one was a Tawny Owl and the other was a Common Buzzard.

It's a bit of a dumbass question but how are you assigning prey to predator? I see plenty of piles of feathers and occasional body parts but I find it hard to tell whether it is something that has merely died and been scavenged or what it was that did it in - there are a variety of candidates.

Probably not that uncommon, although corvids, pigeons, squirrels etc. are always going to form the bulk of their prey.

It sounds like a pair of goshawks are just what are needed round here! How do they cope with cats?

 

[scuba0095]

how they cope with a adult cats? if it hit an adult cat and bound to it the 2 pound hawk would wish it didn't

10 pounds of teeth and claws could seriously injure a 2 pound bird

ive seen a small domestic cat claw the hell out of a red tail that tried to kill it and i dont even think that cat was full grown

a bite from a domestic cat will kill a bird because of all the bacteria in their mouth so it just takes 1 bite to end it

 

[tophillbirder]

Goshawk is reputed to have taken Red Kite young from a nest near me a few years back but I don't know how old the Kites were.
Eagle Owls take cats so Goshawks might. Those talons can do enough damage in one strike to make fight back unlikely.

 

[nirofo]

To put it bluntly there's hardly a bird that flies that the Goshawk won't take given the opportunity and that includes Peregrines, Buzzards and Kites. Seagulls, Pheasants, Ducks, Crow family, easy; although the Raven will give them a run for their money!

nirofo.

 

[scuba0095]

Goshawk is reputed to have taken Red Kite young from a nest near me a few years back but I don't know how old the Kites were.
Eagle Owls take cats so Goshawks might. Those talons can do enough damage in one strike to make fight back unlikely.

eagle owls weigh up to 8 pounds u can't ever compare them to a 2 pound goshawk