Christmas Island Goshawk
Encyclopedia
The Christmas Goshawk or Christmas Island Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus natalis) is a bird of prey
in the goshawk and sparrowhawk family
Accipitridae
. It is a threatened endemic of Christmas Island
, an Australia
n territory in the eastern Indian Ocean
.
as a full species, Accipiter natalis. Since then there has been debate as to whether its affinities lie with the Brown Goshawk
or the Grey Goshawk
(A. novaehollandiae). In the 2004 national recovery plan for the taxon it is treated as a subspecies
of the Brown Goshawk, though the possibility has been raised of elevating it to the species level again. Christidis and Boles (2008) treat it as a subspecies of the Variable Goshawk (A. hiogaster). Here it is treated as a subspecies of the Brown Goshawk pending further study of its genome.
that covers 75% of the island, as well as in other habitats there such as regrowth forest and the edges of clearings.
. There are no detailed population statistics for the goshawks, though the population is small and it has been estimated that there are no more than 100 mature birds, or 50 breeding pairs, on the island. The principal threat comes from yellow crazy ant
s which were accidentally introduced to the island. The threat is not only that of ant predation of goshawk nestlings, but also indirectly from potentially massive changes to the ecology of the island caused by the ants.
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
in the goshawk and sparrowhawk family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
. It is a threatened endemic of Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n territory in the eastern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
Taxonomy
The taxon was described in 1889 by ListerJoseph Jackson Lister (naturalist)
Joseph Jackson Lister FRS was a British zoologist and plant collector from Leytonstone who collected biological specimens during travels in Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Pacific region....
as a full species, Accipiter natalis. Since then there has been debate as to whether its affinities lie with the Brown Goshawk
Brown Goshawk
The Brown Goshawk is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands.- Description:...
or the Grey Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
The Grey Goshawk, Accipiter novaehollandiae, the white morph of which is known as the White Goshawk, is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
(A. novaehollandiae). In the 2004 national recovery plan for the taxon it is treated as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Brown Goshawk, though the possibility has been raised of elevating it to the species level again. Christidis and Boles (2008) treat it as a subspecies of the Variable Goshawk (A. hiogaster). Here it is treated as a subspecies of the Brown Goshawk pending further study of its genome.
Description
The Christmas Goshawk is smaller and has more rounded wings than the nominate subspecies. Colouration is broadly similar, differing in that the hindneck, cap and ear coverts are dark grey, lacking a brown tinge. Females are distinctly larger than males.Distribution and habitat
The goshawk is restricted to the 135 km2 Christmas Island where it is found in the tropical rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
that covers 75% of the island, as well as in other habitats there such as regrowth forest and the edges of clearings.
Breeding
The goshawk builds nests high in tall forest trees. Until it's time to breed, this species of Goshawk live solitarily. They breed from August to January, during which the mates will be reunited, and will fly and call in unison.Feeding
The goshawk feeds on a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates, including birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. It takes its prey from the ground or in flight. It will hunt from a perch or chase birds through the forest.Status and conservation
The goshawk is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places...
. There are no detailed population statistics for the goshawks, though the population is small and it has been estimated that there are no more than 100 mature birds, or 50 breeding pairs, on the island. The principal threat comes from yellow crazy ant
Yellow crazy ant
The yellow crazy ant is a species of ant, introduced accidentally to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, that has wreaked ecological damage in both locations....
s which were accidentally introduced to the island. The threat is not only that of ant predation of goshawk nestlings, but also indirectly from potentially massive changes to the ecology of the island caused by the ants.