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Goshawk

 

 

The goshawk belongs to the Accipitriformes order, the Accipitridae family and Accipiter genus. Goshawks prefer to nest in old coniferous woods, hunting for prey in forested areas as well as cultured landscapes. The greatest threats to the species in Estonia are the destruction of breeding sites and the decrease in foraging areas.

 

The number of goshawks has declined significantly in Estonia. As an estimate currently our forests house 300 to 500 goshawk pairs. But only 15 years ago the number was twice as large. Due to this the goshawk comes within the II category of protected bird species.

 

The aim of the protection plan for the goshawk for the next 5 years is to achieve an increase in its numbers. The long-term goal is to achieve a favourable level for the population, in the order of 700-1000 pairs.

 

To realise these objectives, several general measures are suggested in the plan, such as prolonging the forest-felling  ban, protection by way of cover or “umbrella” species etc.

 

Specific activities are also provided, such as mapping new breeding territories, a national monitoring, various studies of habitat use and identification of mortality causes, introduction of the goshawk and its protection in courses  and media. The courses are designed for forest owners, hunters, bird raisers and other target groups.

 

The action plan approved by the Ministry of the Environment can be found on the Ministry’s web site: LINK

 

In keeping with the Nature Conservation Act, action plans for securing a favourable level of abundance of a protected species must be compiled if previous measures do not secure it or if international commitment requires it. Action plans are compiled for all Category I species, i e species rare in Estonia or in danger of extinction. After confirmation by the Minister of the Environment the prepared plans are the basis for conservation management of the species in Estonia.

The compilation of the action plan was financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

 

Goshawk habitat