Goshawk

A male goshawk. Fun Fact: Did you know that
a goshawk's wingspan is usually around 4 feet?

The goshawk was once a highly prized bird in the sport of falconry due to its unique killing strategy. It strikes its prey and then stays with it, carefully bringing it to the ground. The goshawk will snatch its unknowing prey from any terrain, and if its prey finds out it is being hunted and runs, the goshawk uses its wide wingspan and TAILSPAN to chase the creature down, even through thick forests. The goshawk uses the opened tail to steer itself through the forests and in between trees.

The saying "what you give, is what you get", really applies to the goshawk. While it is an excellent hunter, it attacks EVERYTHING, and humans use this excuse to shoot them for game and fun. The hunting of these gorgeous birds has caused them to go nearly extinct. The picture on the right is a male goshawk.

An interesting fact about the goshawk is that it often uses the same nest for its whole life. The nest is originally built high in a forked tree with twigs. The nest is repaired each year before the next brood is born. The male goshawk will catch food and leave it far away from the nest (so as not to draw predators to the young). Later, the female collects the food and feeds it to her young in the safety of the tree. A male will NEVER bring food directly to the nest.