Scientific name:
Accipitridae

Natural spread:
Europe

the hawk - in the forest lurks the gray death

A quite macabre name for a bird, a gripping-bird, in many places known as the popular ignoble name goshawk. The at the moment most powerful gripping-bird of our area, the hawk, is meant here. That until females heavy to 1.500 g actually is capable to manage loot until the hen-size. The main-food of the birds consists however mainly of deaf persons, raven-birds as well as some mammals, like Z.B. Rabbits. The hunt-technology resembles its smaller more stylish brother, that Sperber. With high speed, the hawk of its loot approaches, about it then with the powerful so-called catches in the flight or densely over the ground to erhaschen. As the hunt-success only is on this occasion skimpy also with the Sperber. This also depends very strongly on the constitution of the loot. Weakened animals rather turn into the loot of the hawk also like with other gripping-bird-types. The hawk had been worth farmer u.a as conflict-point among pigeon-breeders, hunters, long ago., as the all-year close season came into force for the hawk in 1976. The continuances had to record until decreases drastic at this time, primarily like with the Sperber through high poison-shares in the loot and consequently poison-enrichment of the own body, furthermore through continuous prosecution. In the meantime, the continuances could recover again also like with the Sperber. The continuances are controlled by experts annually, about to prove the continuance-development for the posterity.

Often, one can observe them perform courtship display of the two partners over the brood-precinct, usually alto-timbers, in the forward spring. The hawks build a remarkable eyrie, that can amount to 1,50 meters in the diameter occasionally. In the eyrie, two to four squabs become erbrütet, of which is known, from the female that cannibalism occurs with food-shortage. Broadly, gripping-birds have very high losses, according to also the hawk, of the first year of life. So, a squab usually only gains the second year of life. The bird changes its plumage exactly to this time and finally gets his Querbänderung typical for it on it entire breast-area. Before however, it must satisfy himself with one simple russet suffused Längstüpfelung. Be able to become over 20 years old in captivity of held animals.

The hawk can turn its head like all gripping-birds by 180° to the back and can observe with it from its seat from the whole surroundings.