Northern Goshawk

The northern goshawk is a fierce bird, the largest of the Accipiter genus in Wisconsin. With a Holarctic distribution, the goshawk glides through coniferous and hardwood forests of boreal and northern temperate regions across the world. The face of northern goshawks is dark grey, with a white eyebrow slashing across its side, contrasting its red eyes. The belly is finely barred grey in adults.

Juvenile goshawk in the nest, photo by Andrey Gulivanov

Goshawks in Wisconsin prefer mature forest, and will often find the largest tree in a tract to place their nest. Hunters of the forest, these birds tend to prefer open understories free of brush where they can hunt with more airspace. For Wisconsin birds, diet includes ruffed grouse, red squirrel, blue jay, crow, and eastern chipmunk. A majority of the North American breeding population of goshawks resides in Canada, but most northern Wisconsin counties have nesting pairs, and the birds will migrate into Wisconsin in great numbers every 8-10 years when the abundance of ruffed grouse and snowshoe hare declines in the Canadian boreal forest.

Nesting pairs will produce 2 to 4 eggs, though research from northern Wisconsin suggests that the fisher (a small carnivore of the weasel family) will prey upon goshawk eggs and reduce reproductive potential. Nests in northeastern Wisconsin that produced 2.3 fledged young per nest from 1971-1981 only produced 1.3 fledged young per nest from 1982 to 1992 as fisher populations increased. Goshawks are known to fiercely defend nests, but fishers ambush the nest as can humans. Goshawks are valuable in falconry, and multiple nests in Wisconsin were found to be illegally captured for this purpose. For an excellent read about a singular goshawk, you might check out H is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald’s memoir about raising her goshawk Mabel.

The fierce look of a northern goshawk, photo by Zweer de Bruin

There remains some concern about the future of the goshawk in Wisconsin. As a northern bird, climate change may push this species to the brink. Even under the most conservative estimate of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming, the goshawk is projected to lose its entire breeding range in northern Wisconsin and most of the eastern United States, according to Audubon’s “Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink.” The northern goshawk ranks as one of 44 high vulnerability species in Wisconsin.

These fierce accipiters should be enjoyed while they still inhabit Wisconsin. A quick look at current sightings on eBird reveals birds at Wehr Nature Center near Milwaukee and at UW-Madison’s Arboretum.

Written by Drew Harry, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward

Cover photo by Martha de Jong-Lantink

Featured Sanctuary Bird: Bald Eagle

Juvenile bald eagle photo by Arlene Koziol

This winter, thousands of bald eagles can be found fishing around dams in open water along the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Many of these eagles are from northern Wisconsin, Minnesota or Canada. However, some bald eagles in southern Wisconsin are sticking aroud - setting up territories and nests.

At Goose Pond Sanctuary, a pair of bald eagles took over a red-tailed hawk nest located on top of a spruce tree in the yard of Roland and Lynn Manthe, 100 yards north of Goose Pond (see map). The eagles have been adding sticks to the nest and are frequently seen in the area.

Though Bald Eagles were once endangered by hunting and pesticides, they now are flourishing under protection. They are often soaring in solitude, chasing other birds for their food.

Bird watchers and photographers are welcome to visit the pair near Goose Pond, but we ask that a few guidelines be followed to keep the eagles comfortable: Please do not park near the nesting area - A small pull-off can be found on the east side of Goose Pond Road where the road intersects the pond.  Please use your car as a blind as walking up to the nest will likely result in the eagles abandoning the nest. Your cooperation is appreciated!

Please contact Goose Pond Sanctuary resident managers, Mark and Sue Foote-Martin with questions: goosep@madisonaudubon.org, 608-635-4160.

Can't get enough of eagles? Swing by our booth at Eagle Watching Days on Saturday, Jan. 18, or join us in Spring Green for our Eagle Roost Count on Sunday, Jan. 26! Learn more about the birds of Madison Audubon Sanctuaries in our featured archive.