Goshawks seen breeding in county for first time

It is believed three goshawk chicks were born at the end of May, but only two have successfully fledged in Leicestershire

A rare bird of prey that was once close to extinction in the UK has been spotted breeding in Leicestershire for the first time.

The goshawk, a protected bird similar to the sparrowhawk, but much larger, was persecuted in the UK in the late 19th Century but there was a population recovery in the late 1960s following deliberate releases.

Leicestershire and Rutland bird recorder Carl Baggot said: "It is the first documented record of this species breeding, although they are likely to have bred here in the distant past.

"In all honesty I let out an expletive under my breath, so I guess I was very excited."

Goshawks, known as the phantom of the forest, can fly through trees at up to 40km/h (24mph) as they hunt birds and small mammals.

Senior reserves officer for Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, Andy Neilson, said goshawks were extinct from the 1800s in Leicestershire.

"It's absolutely brilliant to hear they are here but to see the footage, it's just outstanding really," he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Baggot has been monitoring the medium-large-sized bird of prey at four private woodlands since 2021, using passive sound recorders.

"The breeding male is a second-year bird and the female a third year or older," he said.

"The goshawk is a rare visitor to the county and it is quite difficult to separate on distant views from a female sparrowhawk."

The bird is protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Mr Baggot said: "Because they are not being persecuted quite like they were, they are just naturally spreading again in neighbouring counties like Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

"Their population is increasing nationally and so long as they are not persecuted and there are sufficient sites with mature trees, they will continue to increase.

"Although goshawks are a big predator, where you get goshawks you get more songbirds - they are ecosystem engineers, they're really positive."

Mr Baggot said it was important the location of the nests was kept secret to avoid large numbers of people going looking for them.

Goshawk pairs perform spectacular aerial displays over their woodland territories during late winter and spring