I am writing in support the…

I am writing in support the proposal to allow a small number (5) ofNorthern goshawks to be used as falconry birds in Ontario.

I am aware that the numbers of Goshawks has increased in the province of Ontario based on both nesting records collected by the Ontario Hawking Club and from my personal observations over the many years that I have been watching birds in Ontario (since 1967).

The use of a goshawk as a falconry bird is for the experienced falconer who has prior experience and offers a unique opportunity to train a bird that is quite challenging. I believe that the removal of 5 birds province-wide would have a negligible effect as falconers target hatch-year birds that are preferred for training. The survival rate of first-year raptors in the wild is very low so the removal of 5 from the population would be insignificant. It is also likely that more goshawks are shot by farmers protecting their livestock, than the 5 proposed for the wild take.

OFO makes the case that the N. Goshawk is threatened based on Breeding Bird surveys that SARA cites as being of low reliability due to the inaccessibility of their main breeding areas. In addition, their comment cites that there are few sitings along the migration route, suggesting that this means the population is still at risk; however, these observations are likely an artifact of their preference for forested areas while on migration, rather than the open areas of the shore of Lake Erie where the hawk watching takes place. Nesting records are a better determinant of population size which suggests that these numbers can sustain the potential removal of 5 birds from the population.

Perhaps as a compromise a condition could be placed on the use of this species for one hunting season which could then be released in the spring. This would add the bird to the breeding pool while still offering an opportunity to train a wild bird (this is the traditional method used in falconry). The added effect of this strategy would be to ensure the survival of these 5 birds as more than 80% of first-year raptors die in their first year.

I am a long-time bird bander, bird watcher and falconer and I have trained a Goshawk in the past.