A Note on Hunting Behaviour of Two Sympatric Goshawks in the Australian Wet Tropics

Abstract

Observations were made on hunting techniques employed by sympatric Grey Goshawks Accipiter novaehollandiae and Brown Goshawks A. fasciatus in Queensland. Both goshawks often hunted from a perch. The Brown Goshawk used active search techniques, such as hunting on foot, contour hunting and high searching, more often than did the Grey Goshawk. Direct flying attacks were used commonly by both goshawks, and often resulted in a tail-chase in the case of the Brown Goshawk. Interspecific differences in hunting and attacking techniques relate to morphological differences between the two species.