Eurasian Goshawk

Eurasian Goshawk Latest News

A Eurasian goshawk, a medium-large raptor, was recently spotted at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary by a forest guard.

About Eurasian Goshawk

• It is a large, powerful bird of prey belonging to the Accipitridae family, which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
• Scientific Name: Accipiter gentilis
• It is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America (where it is simply called the Northern Goshawk). 
• Habitat: Found in dense forests, particularly coniferous and mixed woodlands.

Eurasian Goshawk Features

• It has relatively short, broad wings and a long tail.
• It is blue-grey above or brownish-grey with dark barring or streaking over a grey or white base color below, but Asian subspecies in particular range from nearly white overall to nearly black above.
• Females are significantly larger than males.

Key Facts about Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Thane District of Maharashtra, 90 km northeast of Mumbai in the foothills of the Western Ghats.
• The sanctuary is spread over an area of 320 sq. km. 
• It has two rivers, the Tansa and Vaitarna, and the sanctuary gets its name from the former, which divides the sanctuary into two parts.
• The sanctuary forms the catchment area of Tansa Lake, along with the surrounding forests of Khardi, Vaitarna, Wada, and Shahapur ranges.
• Tansa reservoir, along with Vaitarna and Bhatsa reservoirs, is the major source of water for the cities of Mumbai and Thane. 
• Within Tansa Sanctuary is a fort at Mahuli, situated on a 762 m high hilltop.
• Vegetation: The Sanctuary has Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest, with a few patches of Evergreen forest. 
• Flora: It consists of trees like Kalamb, Bibla, Khair, Hed, Teak, and Bamboo.
• Fauna:
  • At least 54 species of animals and 200 species of birds exist in the sanctuary.
  • Major wild animals are Panther, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Hyena, Wild boar, etc.
  • Two Critically Endangered Gyps species of vultures, the Vulnerable Pallas’s Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus, are also seen here.
• Eurasian Goshawk Conservation Status: Least Concerned under the IUCN Red List. 

Eurasian Goshawk FAQs

Q1. In which state is Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary located?

Ans. Maharashtra 

Q2. Which two rivers flow through Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary?

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Ans. Tansa and Vaitarna

Q3. What type of forest is predominantly found in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary?

Ans. Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest

Source: MSN