Red Goshawk photographed for first time in Central Australia

Endangered Red Goshawk photographed for first time in Central Australia

A chance sighting of a Red Goshawk at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary is the first confirmed record of the species in Central Australia in 30 years.

Resident ecologist Dr Tim Henderson made the exciting discovery earlier this month at the sanctuary on Ngalia Warlpiri and Luritja Country west of Alice Springs.

Dr Henderson was conducting routine fieldwork when he spotted a large, unusual looking bird of prey flying overhead. He quickly snapped a series of photos of the bird – not realising he’d just captured the first photographs of a Red Goshawk ever taken in Central Australia.

It was only upon reviewing the photos that Tim suspected it was one of Australia’s rarest raptors. He sent the photos to BirdLife Australia’s Director of Terrestrial Birds and raptor expert Dr Richard Seaton who confirmed his suspicions, calling it a “very significant record”. Without a doubt, the bird was a Red Goshawk – making this the first confirmed sighting of the species in Central Australia since a handful of records from the mid-1990s.

Roaming the vast open woodlands and tropical savannas of northern Australia, these powerful predators feed mostly on other birds. Red Goshawks hunt by ambush – hiding in foliage before launching from their perch and weaving effortlessly through the canopy in a high-speed pursuit of their prey, which are no match for their massive feet and talons.

This bird is a juvenile, according to BirdLife Australia’s Red Goshawk Project Coordinator Chris MacColl – whose research has revealed that young birds can travel incredible distances after leaving the nest.

Chris’ satellite tracking work with the University of Queensland shows that juvenile Red Goshawks often leave their breeding territories on Cape Yorke Peninsula and head inland – with some flying over 1,500 kilometres into the arid and semi-arid regions of the Northern Territory and western Queensland. However, the reason behind their impressive long-haul flights is still unclear.

Once widespread in parts of eastern Australia, land clearing and fragmentation has seen their population plummet. In the past four decades, Red Goshawks have disappeared from more than a third of their breeding range – and in 2023, they were listed as nationally Endangered.

BirdLife Australia is leading a national survey and monitoring program with Indigenous Rangers, Traditional Owners, communities, and volunteers to better understand and protect the species.

Alongside Chris’ research, this remarkable sighting means we’re one step closer to solving the mysteries of their movements – and understanding how best to protect Australia’s rarest bird of prey and its habitat.