Northern Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis

Today's animal is the Northern Goshawk-- a bird that is found in North America, Europe, and Asia. It also happens to be one of the largest Hawks in North America, and is the largest of its genus in that range.

The Northern Goshawk has a dark back and wings, but an underside of light-colored feathered covered in dark lines. They also have white eye stripes and long tails. The exact chest coloration does vary by location-- some individuals in Siberia are almost completely white!

These raptors are incredibly powerful and persistent predators. They have been observed chasing after prey for close to an hour! They, like many birds of prey, are opportunistic feeders, and will go after rodents, hares, small birds, geese, and even larger mammals like foxes and raccoon!

Spring is the breeding season for these birds, and during that time they will perform undulating flight displays in order to entice a mate. Once mates are chosen the birds often pair for life. 2-4 eggs are laid at a time, and the male will do most of the hunting and feeding while the female incubates. Young Goshawks will hang around in their parents' territory for about a year before reaching sexual maturity and finding and mate and range of their own.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America, Europe, Asia
Size : Length around 27in (70cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Falconiformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Accipiter-- Species : A. gentilis
Image :  Doctor Rukinogi

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Long-whiskered Owlet

Xenoglaux loweryi

The Long-whiskered Owlet is a tiny little bird of prey that is found only in the Cloud Forests of a very small section of Peru. It is estimated that there are as few as 250 remaining in the wild, giving the bird an "Endangered" status.

Long-whiskered Owlets are some of the smallest Owls in the world-- they are only about 4-6 inches in total body length, and weigh less than 2 ounces! They are best identified by their long facial feathers that jut outwards, giving them the name-sake whiskered look.

Not much is known about these birds habits and behaviors. They have only been known to science since 1976, and captured a handful of times. Needless to say, they have not been well studied. Their tiny, remote range and small size make them especially difficult to track down, and it actually made news when one was spotted back in 2007.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : South America
Size : Length up to 6in (15cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae -- Genus : Xenoglaux -- Species : X. loweryi
Image : Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is the smallest hawks in all of North America, and one of the smallest in the entire world. Their bodies measure between 9 and 13 inches, and their short wings give them a span that tops out at only 22in! As with most birds of prey, the females are larger than the males-- in this case up to 1.3 larger!

These little birds of prey are found primarily in North and Central America, though some make their way down to South America as well. Many are year-round residents, while others migrate between the north and south. They are found primarily in forested areas.

The prey of a Sharp-shinned Hawk depends on the size of the Hawk itself. A 4in difference in body length is a pretty big deal! Songbirds make up most of their diet, but larger Hawks will go after Quails, Pigeons, and even small Falcons!

One particularly interesting fact about these birds is that they will continue to feed their offspring for quite a while after they have fledged. At first they bring the food to the nest, but eventually they feed their children while flying, passing the prey to them in mid-air.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North, Central, and South America
Size : Length around 1ft (30cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Accipiter-- Species : A. striatus
Image : NPS Photo

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Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

The Great Horned Owl is a truly great bird-- they are the second largest Owls in the Americas! (Second to the Snowy Owl). These big birds of prey have a body length of over 2ft, and sport two long feather tufts that give them the "horned" name. Males are slightly smaller than females (common in birds of prey), though they do have louder, deeper voices.

Great Horned Owls live in both North and South America, and are found in a variety of different open habitats-- including deserts! Their diverse habitat preference also means that they have a very diverse diet. The Owls will eat rodents, rabbits, insects, reptiles, fish, and even other birds of prey like Peregrine Falcons!

Male and female Great Horned Owls form monogamous pair bonds, often for life. They occupy territories that they defend vigorously, and they will readily kill to protect their offspring-- even members of their own species.

The Owls produce a single brood of offspring each yeah, laying between 1 and 4 eggs. The eggs incubate for close to 40 days, and hatch in the early Spring. While incubating, the female Owl will rarely leave the nest-- her mate will protect the territory and bring her food. After the offspring hatch, he will feed them for a few weeks as well. Young Owls start to fly at about 7 weeks, and will leave their parents in the late Fall or early Winter, when it is time for a new breeding cycle to begin.

Because of their massive range and their relatively stable population, the Great Horned Owls are listed as being of Least Concern.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North and South America
Size : Body length up to 2in (.6m), Wingspan up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae -- Genus : Bubo -- Species : B. virginianus
Image :  Shudrburg

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Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciata

The Bonelli's Eagle is named for 19th century Italian Ornithologist Franco Andrea Bonelli. It is a large bird, with a body length of around 2ft, and can be found in southern Europe, southern Asia, and throughout most of Africa.

These Eagles are identified by their brown upper-parts, dark-streaked white under-sides, and by the black band at the end of their tail. Adults and juveniles can be told apart by that band-- Juveniles don't have it. Another way to know a Bonelli's Eagle is near? Their call! They make a klu-klu-klu-klee sound while near the nest.

Bonelli's Eagles prefer to live in areas that are neither too open, nor too dense with trees. They typically hunt from trees, swooping down on ground-dwelling prey when spotted. Birds and Lagomorphs are their most common targets.

Did you know that many species of Eagle build multiple nests at a time? The Bonelli's Eagle is one of those species. Pairs mate for life, and will build as many as six nests within their territory. And these are no small nests either-- they can be more than 2m across and 1.5m deep, and the pair will maintain and add to them every year. One theory for the multiple nests is that the birds will have someone else to go should their current nest become unusable.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe, Africa, Asia
Size : Length up to 2ft (60cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Aquila -- Species : A. fasciata
Images : Paco Gomez

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Northern Hawk-owl

Surnia ulula

The Northern Hawk-Owl has a range that spreads across North America, Europe, and Asia, yet they are one of the least studied birds-of-prey out there. They live only in the far north, in remote areas, and a single bird can live quite far away from its nearest neighbor. So even though their three subspecies circle the Arctic, we are unsure of what their actual population size is!

What we do know about these birds is that, like many Owls, the females are slightly larger than the males. They are also, interestingly, diurnal. This of course breaks the stereotype of Owls hunting only at night!

When it comes to their meals, the Northern Hawk-Owls feed primarily on rodents and rabbits. Because the small mammal populations spike every couple of years, the Owl populations fluctuate as well. Years with fewer rabbits, for example, mean that the Owls have less to eat and both produce less offspring, and decrease from starvation.

At present, the Northern Hawk-Owl is listed as being of least concern. However, it is believed that their population is declining, though there is little concrete evidence to back it up. More effective monitoring must be done to both learn more about these birds, and to prevent any major conversation concerns.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America, Europe, Asia
Size : Body length up to 17in (43cm), Wingspan around 18in (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae -- Genus : Surnia -- Species : S. ulula

Image : BS Thurner Hof

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Papuan Eagle

Harpyopsis novaeguineae

Meet the Papuan Eagle, a large bird of prey that happens to be the only member of its genus, Harpyopsis. They do actually belong to a subfamily that contains three other birds, including the South American Hapry Eagle, and the Papuan Eagle is also sometimes referred to as the Papuan Harpy Eagle because of that close relationship.

You could probably guess that the Papuan Eagle lives in Papua New Guinea. They are endemic to the island of New Guinea, and are one of its top predators. They feed primarily on Phalangers, which are a type of tree-dwelling Marsupial. The Eagles fly above the canopy, spot the Phalangers, and then swoop in and take them right from the trees.

Papuan Eagles are listed as Vulnerable because they only live in one location on the entire planet, because that location is undergoing habitat loss, and because the Eagles are hunted for their feathers, reducing their population size.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : New Guinea
Size : Length up to 3ft (.9m), Wingspan up to 5ft (1.6m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Harpyopsis -- Species : H. novaeguineae
Image : Hector Ceballos-Lascurain

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