Goshawk
- The Eurasian goshawk is the largest among all hawks. It belongs to the genus Accipiter.
- Male Eurasian goshawks may occupy territories of 570–3500 ha. They are monogamous — pairs form for life, and there is usually one clutch per year.
- Eurasian goshawks do not drink water in moderate weather but enjoy bathing, and may drink water in hot weather.
Age
Eurasian goshawks have a typical lifespan of from 16 to 27 years and 6 months, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 22 years, and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 14 years and 1 month to 20 years and 2 months. The species reaches sexual maturity between 9 months and 1 week and 1 year and 3 months. Development begins with the "Embryo" stage, during which the embryo develops inside an egg, followed by the "Chick" stage, when the chick remains in the nest for the first weeks of its life. The “Rapid Growth Juvenile” stage lasts from 1 month and 2 weeks to 1 year, during which the young bird learns to fly and hunt. The "Adult" stage, characterized by reproductive capability and independent hunting, lasts from 1 to 20 years.
Phenotype
The Eurasian goshawk has a small beak with a hook at the end, and the young’s beak is the same; downy feathers cover the body of the young, keeping it warm. After a period of rapid growth, the plumage of the species is brown with longitudinal stripes. An adult’s beak is strong and hooked, aiding in tearing prey, and its eyes are large with sharp vision, allowing it to spot prey from a distance. The adult's plumage is grey on the upper body and white on the lower part with dark transverse bands. It also possesses long, sharp claws on its feet that capture and kill prey. The Eurasian goshawk has short, broad wings that help it maneuver among trees.
Physiology
Eurasian goshawks measure from 48 to 64 centimeters in body length and weigh from 1.04 kilograms, with a wingspan of 1.15 meters. The embryo stage has a body mass ranging from 40 to 55 grams and a body length from 5.5 to 6 centimeters. During the nestling stage, the young have a body mass between 50 grams and 0.6 kilograms. The fast-growing juvenile stage exhibits a body mass from 400 grams to 0.9 kilograms and a body length from 45 to 60 centimeters. Adult goshawks possess a body mass ranging from 0.5 to 0.75 kilograms and a body length from 48 to 52 centimeters.
Habitat
Eurasian goshawks inhabit terrestrial landscapes including forests and flooded meadows; the species’ elevation range extends up to 2 kilometers above sea level. They are found in temperate mixed forests with warm summers and many oak, birch, and maple trees, as well as in taiga characterized by cold winters and numerous coniferous trees such as spruce and pine. The climate varies, with some areas experiencing constant moisture and frequent rain, others having cool summers with snow in winter, and still others featuring warm summers with little rainfall, or warm summers with abundant rain.
Shelter
Eurasian goshawks are found within the crown of tall trees in forests. The species builds or utilizes a nest as its shelter, which is a nest structure used for laying eggs and raising young. The nest is constructed from branches and small twigs.
Geography
Eurasian goshawks occupy the Nearctic and Palearctic biogeographical realms. The species is found in Celtic broadleaf forests, broadleaf forests of Western Europe, coniferous forests of the Qilian Mountains, Balkan mixed forests, Baltic mixed forests, and European Atlantic mixed forests.
Feeding
The goshawk is a predatory species that feeds on other animals, and its diet includes medium-sized birds, squirrels, hares, rabbits, and rodents. The goshawk hunts using quick rushes from ambush, employing a strategy of active hunting, ambush, and pursuit, with its method of obtaining food based on ambush waiting and rapid maneuvering flight. As prey, the species prefers Eurasian red voles, grey red-backs, rats, canary buntings, and hazel dormice. The goshawk's daily food requirement is from 120 g to 250 g.
Reproduction
The Eurasian goshawk’s embryo develops for one month; the female lays from two to four eggs in the spring, and both parents build or renew a nest on a tree, then alternate incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks. The size of the brood is two to four young. The species reproduces every year. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the offspring. The male and female reach maturity from two to three years of age.