About Goshawks

Saljane, the bird character in Path of Fate, Path of Honor, and Path of Blood, is a northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). These are the largest North American member of the genus Accipiter, or "true hawks." The Northern Goshawk is legendary for its ferocity, beauty and amazing flight skills. In ancient Persia it was called Baz-Nama, the King Hawk, and in medieval Europe it was the most prized of all falconry hawks. Linnaeus named it Accipiter gentilis in the 16th century, for its nobility (gentilis) and awesome ability to seize (accipere) squirrels, rabbits, birds, and other prey on the fly.

An adult goshawk is 21-26 inches long with a wing span of 40-46 inches. Females are usually larger than males. A goshawk's wings and back are blue-gray and its underparts are white with fine black barring. The undertail coverts are white and fluffy, and quite noticeable in the field. The top of its head, called the crown, is dark and separated from the blue-gray back by a white eyebrow that flares behind its deep red eye.

The immature goshawk differs from the adult in that it has a yellow eye, its head is brown with a bold white brow, its back is also brown as are its upperwings. It has a white belly boldly streaked with black to its undertail coverts, and its tail is brown above and pale below, marked by jagged bars edged narrowly in white. Saljane, when she is introduced in the novel, is just reaching the stage of maturity, with a lighter eye and some brown streaks on her back and wings.

Like other Accipiters, the goshawk is a forest-dwelling raptor (a flesh eating bird or "bird of prey"). Its sharp talons and curved bill are excellent tools for holding prey and tearing flesh It has broad, stocky wings and a long tail. The broad wings allow the goshawk to accelerate and decelerate quickly, and along with its long tail allow it great maneuverability among the trees of the forest.

While most hawks soar and dive over open meadows, streams, tundra, estuaries or coastlines, goshawks are more likely to be seen within forests, darting through the trees beneath the canopy. Over hundreds of thousands of years, they have developed short, powerful wings and protective eye tufts which enable them to fly (mostly unscathed) through the forest understory and canopy in pursuit of songbirds and squirrels. Their long, rudder-like tails gives them a acrobatic ability to spin around trees and quickly dive under shrubs and brush.

Interestingly, the goshawk is also rather fastidious about eating, liking to strip its prey of fur or feathers before eating.

The Northern Goshawk is widely found throughout the mountains and forests of North America and Eurasia. In North America it ranges from western central Alaska and the Yukon territories in the north, to the mountains of northwestern and western Mexico. It is typically not found in the southeastern states of the United States.

When courting a mate, the female Goshawk will attract males in the area by either performing dramatic "Sky Dances" and calling out, or by perching in the nesting area and calling out. Once a mate has been found, the two Goshawks begin to construct/repair their nest. During this time the pair will copulate many times a day

A mating pair of Northern Goshawk begins to prepare their nest as early as two months before egg laying. Typically, the nest is located in an old growth forest, near the trunk of a medium to large tree and near openings in the forest such as roads, swamps and meadows. Their nest are usually about one meter (39.4 inches) in diameter and one-half to one meter (19.7 to 39.4 inches) in height and are made of dead twigs, lined with leafy green twigs or bunches of conifer needles and pieces of bark.

The typical clutch size is two to three eggs, which are laid in two to three day intervals. The eggs are rough textured, bluish-white in color and measure 59x45 millimeters (2.3 x 1.8 inches) in size. The clutch begins to hatch within 36 to 41 days of laying. Incubation of the eggs is primarily the female's job, but occasionally the male will take her place to allow the female to hunt and eat.

After the clutch has hatched, the female will not leave the nesting area until the nestlings are 25 days old. During this time the male is the primary provider of food for the female and her nestlings. When the nestlings reach 25 days the female will leave them and hunt with the male .

When the nestling Goshawk reaches 35 to 42 days old, he will begin to move to the nearby branches of the tree. Soon after this practice flights begin to occur. Often the fledglings participate in "play" which is thought to allow them to practice hunting skills which will be needed throuout their lives. The young Goshawks do not become fully independent of their parents until they are 70 to 80 days old.

Most Goshawk populations are sedentary and they typically remain in their nesting areas throughout their lives. Only the Goshawks that breed in the north and northwestern parts of North America are migratory. They fly south during the winter months and then return to their nesting areas in the spring. Male and female Goshawks typically maintain a life-long pair bond and only upon death will they seek out a new mate. Goshawks are highly territorial and a mating pair will advertise their nesting territory by performing an elaborate aerial display before and during nest construction and/or repair. If their nesting area is encroached upon, they will defend it fiercely.

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all content © 2006 Diana Pharaoh Francis except where indicated.   ~   any duplication, electronic or otherwise, must be authorized in writing.   ~   artwork ©2006 Cathy Weber   ~   code and layout ©2006 klhamilton   ~   site issues? contact the webmaster   ~   page last modified 12/16/2006