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Home , Bald eagle, Great horned owl, Northern goshawk

Critter Class

Goshawk Avian Science Center - Goshawk Led by: MVK August 17, 2011

MVK: Good evening class. Sorry I am late - but I have a note.

Comment: Hi MVK, you are excused...

MVK: What am I - I will attack other and people if they approach my home to closely.

MVK: Second question - I have a close association with Attila the Hun.

Comment: Is it a ?

Comment: Bear?

MVK: I eat large , and .

Comment: Could it be mungols?

Comment: Red wing blackbird? :)

Comment: maybe a bluejay??

MVK: I like to fly through the forrest.

Comment: An ?

Comment: ?

Comment: Hi MVK, you are a red tailed !

Critter Class – Goshawk 1 8/17/2011

Comment: not a bluejay if it eats large birds..

MVK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CFckjfP-1E

Comment: Ummm a red tailed hawk?

Comment: How about an owl????

Comment: A great .

Comment: Red hawk??

Comment: ?

Comment: Steepe ?

Comment: Eagle/owl/hawk??? First time I have been on this late in a very long time! Thanks, MVK.

Comment: ?

Comment: peregrine ?

Comment: a falcoln

Comment: How about an eagle?

Comment: Is it a pergrine falcon?

Comment: the goshawk

Critter Class – Goshawk 2 8/17/2011 MVK: The name goshawk comes from words (sound familiar) - gos meaning and hafoc meaning hawk.

Comment: Must be the !

Comment: Good evening MVK. What a great video that was! Thank you.

MVK: To be honest - I knew very little about this magnificent birds until Stef posted the video today - I was amazed.

Animal Diversity Web

Comment: Where might we find this hawk? All over the world?

MVK: The Northern Goshawk is found in Northern US and Canda,

MVK: This information is from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

MVK: It will perch silently waiting and watching for prey. It will descend on prey rapidly, maneuvering through the forest vegetation, and will even crash through it.

MVK: It has clutches of 1-5 and they are light blue in color. The is a large bowl of thin sticks lined with bark and greenery, and in large .

MVK: It is known to chase its prey for longer periods of time and will even chase poultry into buildings.

Critter Class – Goshawk 3 8/17/2011 Comment: In what areas are they found?

Comment: Beautiful -how big is it?

MVK: 20-25 inches long, wingspan 40-46 inches, weight is 22-48 ounces

Comment: Woww, it doesn’t' look big enough to catch a baby !! Wow, pretty bird!

Comment: Fascinating! Thank you!

Comment: I learned from the POP Quiz - Great video!! Thank you!

MVK: They really are and to fly through the forest like they do - I can't imagine.

Comment: It is found in all the forested areas of the and like the bald eagle reuses the nest from to year.

MVK: Very good Diane!

Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Goshawk

Comment: I wanted to watch the Goshawk video earlier but the link did not work for me. Beautiful bird and very graceful flyer!

Comment: Are they as large as their skills make them sound?? Wow.

MVK: Wingspan about 48 inches - 4 feet - pretty good size to be able to maneuver around the forrest.

MVK: It is a large hawk, long tail, broad rounded wings, white eyebrow stripe, gray belly, blue-gray back and a dark cap with a stripe through the eye. Very pretty.

Critter Class – Goshawk 4 8/17/2011 Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Accipiter_gentilis_map.svg

Comment: Slide show of birds' : http://www.slate.com/id/2301690/

MVK: WOW - isn't it great when we share such wonderful information and pictures.

MVK: And to think the Goshawk does not have whiskers to let it know if it will fit or not!

MVK: Lois - as long as anyone wants to learn - I am up for it. I learn as well. I didn't know anything about the goshawk.

Comment: Hey! Cornell also says it's found in , not just in n. America!

MVK: Yes there is a Eurasia goshawk

MVK: If you go here - you can also click on the sound the Goshawk makes http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Goshawk/id

Comment: The goshawk certainly displayed great maneuverability in the video.

Comment: And Attilla the Hun????

MVK: Yes - adorned the helmet of Attila.

Comment: A habitat map on Google shows it is located all across , US, British Isles, Northern , and even . That is a large habitat area for one of bird.

Comment: Seems like goshawks would injure themselves a lot flying like that. Split second timing to fold up at the right moment!

MVK: The video showed how they fold their wings in to conform to the opening.

Critter Class – Goshawk 5 8/17/2011 Comment: MVK: I couldn't find any link to Attila the Hun. Could you explain what that is about? Thanks

MVK: http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/attilathehun/a/attilathehun.htm

Comment: I watched a Goshawk cam here in . The female ate a pigeon - head, feet, bling ring - everything! Yeuk

Comment: Goshawks....gosh, that's fun to say....goshawks, goshawks, goshawks...thanks MVK...always sumpin' new!

Comment: The female goshawk is very protective of her nest and will attack anything (including ) that get near it.

MVK: Per Birds of - "Currently the species is not listed as Endangered in U.S. but there is concern that timber harvest and encroachment are reducing some populations.

MVK: Lifespan is approximately 15 .

Comment: Are they endangered or plentiful? What is there life span?

Comment: MVK, the goshawk soars on thermals just like .

MVK: I believe it is gos hawk - short o

Comment: Is it pronounced GOSH-awk?

Comment: Good evening MVK!! There were two goshawk nest cams in England that I watched this year. One in the . Can't remember where the second was. They both were great to watch and they have sound! Goshawks are very vocal!!

Comment: How is it pronounced ? On Wikipedia they even have " Goose hawk " , I was thinking gos hawk . Anyone in MD heard anything else about the last breeding Goshawk that was in June ?

Critter Class – Goshawk 6 8/17/2011

MVK: It is not pronounced goose hawk - it is gos hawk

Comment: Hi MVK, Do you know if WCV has ever had a Goshawk as a patient? They must surely injure themselves occasionally zipping through the trees!! They are amazing.

MVK: They are not normally found in Virginia. I have not heard of any - we will have to ask.

Comment: I take it Attila the Hun thought the Goshawk was a great hunter and "fighter" and paid tribute to them?

Comment: Do they fly silently, like the ? Owls are spooky enough when they scoot by you but, like you, think I would be scared to death to have it swoosh by me.

MVK: They are and I do not believe they fly silently - I can just imagine them crashing through the forest.

Comment: There are goshawks here in Northern . I've never seen one while hiking but sure would be great to see one!

Comment: Do the goshawk hunt at night like owls or during the day like eagles?

MVK: They hunt during the day.

Comment: Good evening, MVK! I have been looking at Goshawks pictures on Google images and it is truly a magnificent bird. Yellow eyes for the mature ones?

MVK: Red-red brown in adults yellow in juveniles

MVK: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=goshawk. You can hear it here.

Critter Class – Goshawk 7 8/17/2011 Comment: A few months ago I watched a show on Smithsonian channel on the Gray Ghost of Korea which was about a Goshawk. Just amazing. If anyone gets a chance, please watch it. The slow motion photography was awesome!

Comment: MVK - I'm stumped. Quickly scanned the second article. Does the name come from the Goths???

MVK: My info says Olde English

Comment: I was going to ask you if the goshawk was called a hawk, but I looked it up - the Cooper's, Red Tailed, and Sharp-shinned were called chicken hawks. The American Kestral was called a sparrow hawk.

Comment: Mvk - Do you think Keith was correct about the connection with Atilla the Hun? That the goshawk being a fighter?? These classes are terrific. Thanks.

MVK: Yes - I am pretty sure that is right.

Comment: Hey Teach. Thanks for tonight's lesson. The video was amazing. Would you please educate me on how to distinguish a hawk flying from a juvenile eagle? I think I know how to tell them apart from . Lots of big birds flying around St. Louis and I'm trying to scope out the eagles. Thanks for all you do.

MVK: It is hard to tell. I have noticed that eagles flap less frequently than the hawks. In the air it is hard to tell the size difference too. Not an easy thing to do. Comment: If you go to this link you can' listen' to the pronunciation of goshawk. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/goshawk

Comment: Hi MVK...found this link while trying to learn more about bird watching...might help Gina too...http://www.hawkmountain.org/raptorpedia/how-to-identify- hawks/page.aspx?id=353

Critter Class – Goshawk 8 8/17/2011