Among the citizens of the Au Sable valley none is more secretive and illusive than the goshawk. When Peg and I spot one it is always with mixed emotions. We thrill to the sight of what may be the ultimate predator and at the same time lament the probable demise of the grouse we heard drumming across the river in April.
The goshawk, Accipter Gentilis, is the largest accipter. He is considerably bigger than his smaller brethren, the cooper’s hawk and the sharpshin hawk. A mature goshawk is 20-26 inches long with a wing span of 36-42 inches. He is a shockingly handsome bird with a dark grey back and a light chest with a very visible white streak like spectacles over the eyes. His tail is barred . As all accipters, the goshawks’ world exists beneath the forest canopy. I have seen goshawks flying through the thick mature woods at what appears to literally be a “break-neck” speed, using his broad wings and powerful tail to twist and turn in maneuvers that put a “Star Wars” jet to shame. Goshawks have been clocked at 50 mph.
Of the sightings of goshawks that Peg and I have experienced over the years, two stand out. Some years ago Peg was finishing a workout run and as she reached the top of the hill on our lane she heard the high pitched distress shriek of a young bird. There above her on an aspen limb was a goshawk dispatching a half-grown baby grouse. As a wide-eyed Peggy stopped, the hawk took off and sailed over her head with the struggling, shrieking young grouse firmly in its talons.
This past winter, I observed a goshawk with a quarry larger than a grouse, a wild turkey. One cold morning as I drove out of the lane to get the morning papers, I saw a bird on the snow some 60 yards from the car. Upon stopping I realized that it was a goshawk tearing bites out of dark object in the snow. After I collected the papers, I went back up the hill with a pair of binoculars and sure enough the goshawk was ripping feathers, and then chunks of meat, from a turkey. I walked towards the bird and got within 30 or so yards before the predator flew from his meal, doing so it seemed somewhat reluctantly. Examination of the turkey showed a young hen of approximately eight pounds unfrozen and still warm despite the 10-degree temperature. I cannot say for certain that the goshawk killed the turkey, but I have never seen nor read of a goshawk being a scavenger, although they will cache their prey for latter use. The turkey may well have been weakened by injury or illness but it appeared that the hawk had killed it as it came down from its night time roost. This is supported by the fact that in Pennsylvania in the 1950’s my father saw and took a home movie of a goshawk killing an injured turkey in deep snow.
What effect does this super predator have on grouse populations? John Madson, a conservation writer, described the goshawk as “the ultimate grouse killing machine.” Some literature claims that in certain types of northern grouse cover, 70 to 80 percent of winter mortality is due to avian predation by goshawks and great horned owls. Studies by Gordon Gullion indicated that 86 percent of predator grouse mortalities were attributed to raptors with 50 percent of those by goshawks.
Do not, however, condemn this illusive shadow of the swamp without a trial. A classic study conducted in New York in the 1930’s by Edminister showed that when all predators were removed from the test areas, the grouse populations were not helped one bit. In fact, the test areas showed the same or fewer grouse than areas where the predators were left alone. Goshawks actually prey on their own kind as well as other avian predators and thus help to keep their own populations under control. The totality of research shows that our grouse hunting will not be improved over the long run by waging war on goshawks. Habitat improvement is the key to healthy grouse populations. Goshawks are a protected species, and rightfully so.
When you glimpse a large, heavy-bodied darkish hawk with broad wings and a narrow tail zooming across an old logging road, you will marvel at its flying speed and agility. Take pleasure in the sight of a seldom seen predator and salute a rival grouse hunter that is most likely much more efficient than your 20-gauge. RWOL
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