Pennsylvania Game News - March 2022 - 16

REPORT GOSHAWK NESTS
Pennsylvania isn't the only place where northern
goshawks are struggling.
Laurie Goodrich said 46 percent of hawk
watches counting northern goshawks across North
America have documented declines over the last 10
years. They've disappeared entirely as a breeding
species from states to the south like West Virginia
and Maryland, which rely on birds dispersing from
the Keystone State. Populations in states farther
north - New York, Vermont and Massachusetts -
also mirror the struggles here.
" So the decline is certainly regionally widespread, "
said Terry Master, of the Pennsylvania
Biological Survey.
Pennsylvania is appropriately " leading the
" Some researchers think they are at
least somewhat tolerant of forestry activities,
but no one understands just what the
threshold is, " Goodrich said.
" Nothing about goshawks is black and
white, " DeMarco agreed. " Their behaviors
are as gray as their feathers. "
There are other " knowledge gaps "
biologists have to fill in.
Goshawks are a generalist predator;
they'll eat pretty much anything, from
squirrels and crows to chipmunks and
grouse. But, Goodrich said, no one has a
good handle on the status of prey populations.
" Goshawks
are an irruptive species,
so historically there were these 10-year
cycles, these huge irruptions that were
related to food supply changes, " Goodrich
said. " That seems to have died out. If you
look at migration counts, we don't seem to
see that cycle anymore, so we don't know
if that's a part of the problem. "
Climate change's impact on forests,
and therefore goshawks, isn't well understood
either. Nor are goshawk movements
relative to those and other factors.
There's also a need to go beyond
16
charge " in trying to turn things around, said Dave
Brinker, of the Allegheny National Forest goshawk
monitoring program.
" You're a big enough state, you have enough
potential habitat, and you have enough remaining
birds to make progress on this question, " he said.
The public can help. Birders, spring turkey hunters,
trout fishermen and others who spend time in
the woods and come across northern goshawks or
their nests can report those sightings by emailing
the Game Commission at goshawk@pa.gov or calling
the nearest Game Commission region office.
The Game Commission's Sean Murphy said
those records will be verified and used to help establish
and protect where goshawks are hanging on.
examining the state's historic goshawk
territories and explore suitable habitats
where goshawks could be, but haven't
been documented.
CAUSE FOR HOPE
Murphy said the Game Commission is
developing a northern goshawk management
plan with those unknowns in mind.
It's expected this year.
" Our highest priority will be to identify
threats to the population and provide
effective guidance to avoid or minimize
those threats, " Murphy said. " Beyond that,
the mission of the plan will be to recover
and protect a self-sustaining northern goshawk
population in Pennsylvania, restore
the species' ecological role and enable
the general public to enjoy observing this
iconic, forest raptor. "
The Game Commission's goshawk
management plan will outline recovery
goals. Of course, the birds could surprise
everyone. That's what happened with bald
eagles. Gross said early eagle recovery
plans had a goal of 30 to 50 nesting pairs
across Pennsylvania. There are now more
than 300.
Pennsylvania Game News - March 2022

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