Haida Gwaii home to northern goshawks, rare genetic cluster of raptors

Only 50 of the raptors are left on the archipelago.

NEWS Jan 20, 2019 by Hina Alam The Canadian Press

A northern goshawk is shown feeding on a chicken. Haida Gwaii's population of northern goshawks are the last remnant of a highly distinct genetic cluster of the raptors. - Caitlin Blewett, The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — Haida Gwaii's population of northern goshawks are the last remnant of a highly distinct genetic cluster of the birds, a new study by University of British Columbia researchers has found.

Researchers estimate the population of birds may have been evolving separately on Haida Gwaii for 20,000 years — right around the last time the glaciers melted, causing the sea levels to rise and potentially separating the birds from their kin.

While the birds can fly long distances — with goshawks from Michigan and Manitoba travelling as far away as the central United States — they don't seem to like travelling over vast expanses of water, which could account for their long-term isolation, said study co-lead Armando Geraldes.

"There don't seem to be strong geographic barriers anywhere on the continent, but then you get that body of water — about 70 kilometres of water between Haida Gwaii and the mainland — and that is apparently is enough to isolate that population," he said.

Only 50 of the raptors are left on the archipelago.

Continued