Goshawk (Illustration by Will Drew)

The goshawk is without doubt the top avian predator in the New Forest, often referred to as the Phantom of the Forest, capable of chasing its prey through dense woodlands with the agility of a swallow.  Reintroduced to the forest after 200 years, it is breeding successfully. Don’t confuse the goshawk with the smaller sparrow hawk or slower buzzard.