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 animals 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 bear? Comment: Bear? MVK: I eat large birds, squirrels and rabbits. Comment: Could it be mungols? Comment: Red wing blackbird? :) Comment: maybe a bluejay?? MVK: I like to fly through the forrest. Comment: An owl? Comment: Coyote? Comment: Hi MVK, you are a red tailed hawk! 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 horned owl. Comment: Red tail hawk?? Comment: Great Horned Owl? Comment: Steepe eagle? Comment: Eagle/owl/hawk??? First time I have been on this late in a very long time! Thanks, MVK. Comment: Bald Eagle? Comment: peregrine falcon? 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 Old English words (sound familiar) - gos meaning goose and hafoc meaning hawk. Comment: Must be the Northern Goshawk ! 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 youtube 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 nest is a large bowl of thin sticks lined with bark and greenery, and in large trees. 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 bird-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 rabbit!! 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 Northern Hemisphere and like the bald eagle reuses the nest from year 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' nests: 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 Eurasia, 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 Canada, US, British Isles, Northern Europe, Russia and even Asia. That is a large habitat area for one species 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 England. 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 humans) that get near it. MVK: Per Birds of North America - "Currently the species is not listed as Endangered in U.S. but there is concern that timber harvest and human encroachment are reducing some populations. MVK: Lifespan is approximately 15 years. Comment: Are they endangered or plentiful? What is there life span? Comment: MVK, the goshawk soars on thermals just like eagles. 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 New Forest. 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 shot 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? 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 hawks and I do not believe they fly silently - I can just imagine them crashing through the forest. Comment: There are goshawks here in Northern Minnesota. 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 chicken 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 Vultures. 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 .