|
The northern goshawk is legendary for its ferocity, beauty, and amazing flight skills; in medieval Europe, goshawks were the most prized of all falconry hawks. Darting through trees beneath the forest canopy, they’re top-level predators. But as mature and old-growth forests suffer death by a thousand cuts, so do goshawks. In turn, their decline unravels forest ecosystems and puts stress on other species.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE
PROTECTION STATUS: Not listed
PETITIONED: 1991; 2004
RANGE: Mature forest types west of the Continental Divide, from Canada and Alaska into southern Mexico; at lower densities in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States; ones subspecies (Queen Charlotte) found in insular Alaska and British Columbia, and possibly the Olympic Peninsula
THREATS: Logging, road construction, and in some areas development
POPULATION TREND: Goshawk numbers are closely tied to the extent of mature and old-growth forests. The historic and current population size is not known, but has certainly been reduced by logging. The bird is now very rare in coastal forests from southern California to Washington. Its numbers appear to be slowly increasing in the eastern United States, as mature forest cover increases. The highest densities are found on Arizona’s Kaibab Plateau, which supports the best remaining stands of mature ponderosa pine forest in North America.
|
SAVING THE NORTHERN GOSHAWK
For many species that can’t build their own nests, goshawks provide an essential opportunity: shelter. While goshawk nests are especially important to sensitive or imperiled species such as spotted owls and great gray owls, they are also used by other raptors, squirrels, and many other animals. Once goshawks are driven from a forest, their nests collapse and precious wildlife habitat is lost.
In order to save the goshawk and the forests it depends on, the Center launched an ambitious campaign to list the northern goshawk as endangered and in so doing, protect all mature forests from Alaska to Mexico. Failure spelled success: although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service kept the goshawk off the endangered list, our campaign compelled the U.S. Forest Service to dramatically improve protection of mature and old-growth forests across the West. New goshawk management plans were established in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington.
The Center is conducting scientific research on goshawks and publishes an online review of goshawk research and conservation issues.
ACTION TIMELINE
+ CAMPAIGN LINKS
NATURAL HISTORY
+ DETRITUS
Contact: Kierán Suckling
|
RobinSilver.jpg)