The Goshawk

A large and spectacular bird of prey, the Goshawk lives in boreal forests throughout the Northern hemisphere. The Goshawk is an authoritative yet highly readable monograph of the species.


A powerful hunter of large birds and woodland mammals, it was persecuted for many years by game keepers to the point of extinction in the UK. However, escaped falconry birds led to the establishment of a new population in the 1960s, though the species remains rare and elusive - birders need a combination of hard work and a little luck to see this magnificent raptor.

The Goshawk includes chapters on nomenclature, races and morphs, biometrics, nesting, incubation and chick-rearing, migration, feeding ecology, population dynamics, and conservation, punctuated throughout with illuminating tales from author Robert Kenward's extensive field research. The book is packed with illustrations, figures and maps, and contains a selection of the author's superb photographs of the birds.

The product of almost 30 years work, this title is a classic Poyser monograph; birders will enjoy the fascinating insights into the biology of the bird, while academics will appreciate the book's comprehensive literature review.