I-N-NC-SC-O-W-G 98-61 Phil Carroll, Portland, Oregon - (503) 231-6121 Terry Sexson, Denver, Colorado - (303) 236-7917 ext. 429 June 23, 1998 SERVICE DECLINES TO LIST NORTHERN GOSHAWK The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the northern goshawk in the
western United States does not qualify for addition to the Federal endangered species list
at this time. In response to a U.S. District Court ruling, the Service completed a status review and
issued a "not warranted" 12-month finding for the northern goshawk , the largest
of a group of forest hawks known as accipiters. As part of this status review, the Service sought the best available scientific data on
goshawk population trends, types of habitats known to be used by goshawks, and information
on modification, loss, and recovery of forested habitats. Information was requested from
Federal, State and Tribal land managers, as well as non-federal owners of forested lands
in the western United States. Also, the Service acquired expert peer review of its
methodology and of the completeness of its information. The Service found no evidence of a declining population trend for goshawks. In general,
the available data indicate that goshawks remain widely distributed throughout the western
United States. The Service did find that management activities, such as timber harvest, fire
suppression, and grazing, have changed the forest characteristics throughout much of the
West. However, the Service found no evidence that goshawk habitat is limiting the
population, or that a significant curtailment of the species' habitat or range is
occurring. In the western U.S., the goshawk typically nests in mature forests with large, tall
trees and dense canopies. Its short wings and long tail allow it to maneuver through the
forest after birds and to catch small mammals on the ground, unlike most hawks which soar
above more open landscapes. A 1991 petition, submitted by the Maricopa Audubon Society, Arizona Audubon Council,
Mesilla Audubon Society, Forest Guardians, Friends of the Owls, Greater Gila Biodiversity
Project, HawkWatch, Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Southern Utah
Wilderness Alliance, to list the northern goshawk as threatened or endangered in the
forested United States west of the 100th meridian, relies largely on a belief that the
northern goshawk is dependent on large, unbroken tracts of "old-growth" and
mature forest. Neither the petition nor other information available to the Service
supports this claim. The Service found that while the goshawk does typically use mature
forest or larger trees for nesting, it appears to be a generalist in terms of the variety
of types and age-classes of forest habitats it will use. The goshawk occurs in forested regions across the northern hemisphere, including Europe
and Asia. Two recognized subspecies occur in North America. The most widespread
subspecies, Accipiter gentilis atricapillus, occurs from the northeastern United
States across the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, and southward through the upland
forests of the western United States. The Queen Charlotte goshawk (Accipiter gentilis
laingi) occurs in coastal British Columbia and southeastern Alaska, and was not
considered during this status review. The goshawk is a large, raven-sized hawk with a long tail and short wings. It has a
black crown and cheek with a broad white stripe over the eye, pale gray breast and darker
gray back. It flies with several quick beats and a glide. A notice of this finding on a petition to list the northern goshawk in the forested
United States west of the 100th meridian is expected to be published in the Federal
Register later this week. x x x |