THE AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 



{Accipiter atricapiilus.) 



Silently overhead the hen-hawk sails, 



With watchful, measuring eye, and for his quarry waits. 



— Henry Wads worth Longfellow, "Autumn." 



The American Goshawk is one of the 

 few rapacious birds which are considered 

 positively harmful. It is fortunate for 

 the agricultural interests of the United 

 States that it is a bird of the far North, 

 for *^few species are more fond of poultry 

 and game, and its large size enables it 

 to carry off with ease a full-grown 

 chicken." Its partiality for grouse has 

 given it the name Partridge Hawk. In 

 spite • of its fondness for domestic and 

 game birds it is not, however, without 

 some redeeming qualities, for during the 

 fall and winter months, while the birds 

 are in their more southern homes, the 

 Goshawk feeds also upon the smaller 

 mammals, catching many of the smaller 

 rodents. 



There are two varieties of the Ameri- 

 can Goshawk. The one which we illus- 

 trate inhabits the northern and eastern 

 portions of North America, passing 

 southward in winter into the Northern 

 United States and in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains and as far south as Colorado. The 

 second variety, Accipiter atricapiilus 

 striatulus, is a Pacific coast bird which 

 ranges from Alaska to California and 

 -eastward to Idaho. 



The x\merican Goshawk is a brave and 

 daring bird, and even the presence of 

 man will not always prevent it from 

 visiting the poultry yard. Dr. William 

 Wood relates two very interesting in- 

 stances of its daring behavior. Iii the 

 American Naturalist of 1876 he says : 

 "A farmer who resides a few miles from 

 my office, wishing to perpetuate the old 

 New England custom of having a chicken 

 pie for Thanksgiving dinner, caught 

 some fowls, took them to a log, severed 



the neck of one and threw it down beside 

 him. In an instant a Goshawk seized 

 die struggling fowl and, flying off some 

 ten rods, alighted and commenced de- 

 vouring his prey. * * ^ Another 

 instance of still greater daring occurred 

 near East Windsor, Connecticut. A 

 Goshawk flew after a fowl near a dwell- 

 ing house ; the door being open, the hen 

 flew inside ; the Hawk followed, and 

 seized her in the room occupied by an 

 old gentleman and his daughter. The 

 old man hastened to the rescue and struck 

 the Hawk with a cane before it released 

 its grasp. The daughter caught the 

 Hawk as it attempted to fly out of the 

 door and killed it." Instances have been 

 recorded where Goshawks have been 

 wounded while attempting to capture 

 poultry, and after recovering from their 

 surprise have immediately returned to 

 the attack. The habits of the Goshawk 

 give an excellent illustration of the frank 

 and open natures of the hawks. It does 

 not seek its prey from an ambush, but 

 "soars in sight of all its victims." It 

 scorns carrion, and never returns to the 

 body of a large bird of which it has been 

 able to eat only a portion. 



This beautiful bird is perhaps the most 

 bloodthirsty of all the hawks; it is "a 

 veritable terror to all smaller birds, and 

 more than a match for others consider- 

 ably larger than itself." The female is 

 a close sitter, and will ably defend her 

 eggs or young, while the male has been 

 known to attack and severely wound an 

 intruder in the vicinity of its nest. Its 

 flight is strong and swift, and in its at- 

 tacks it is keen-sighted and sure, rarely 

 missing its aim. In Alaska it feeds 



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