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?

Ans. Tansa and Vaitarna

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

Ans. Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest

Source: MSN