Delivery and Consumption of a Pigeon Guillemot by Nesting Northern Goshawks in Southeast Alaska

Abstract

Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) typically hunt in forested habitats and feed upon birds and mammals there. Relatively little is known of goshawk food habits in coastal landscapes, and few seabirds have been documented in their diets. Although guillemots (Cepphus spp.) are potentially available to Northern Goshawks in most coastal landscapes within its range, they have not been documented previously in this raptor's diet. I observed the delivery of a Pigeon Guillemot (C. columba) to a goshawk nest on a coastal island in Southeast Alaska. Guillemots forage in shallow, inshore waters, making them a potentially difficult prey item for goshawks to capture. In addition, Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) occur in large numbers in Southeast Alaska and probably harass goshawks when they are foraging in open habitat near the beach edge. Therefore, even in areas where guillemots occur, it is likely that they are only rarely hunted by goshawks.