Raptors select targets based on what provides the most energy for the least risk, governing the interaction between hawks and geese. Predation on geese is the exception rather than the rule, depending almost entirely on the goose’s age and vulnerability and the specific hawk species involved. Adult geese are typically safe, but their young are often considered potential food for the largest hawks.
Size Constraints and Typical Hawk Prey
The adult goose is a formidable target for most hawk species due to a significant disparity in body mass. A healthy Canada Goose, one of the most common species in North America, often weighs between 6.6 and 19.8 pounds, or 3,000 to 9,000 grams. In contrast, one of the largest and most widespread hawks, the Red-tailed Hawk, generally weighs between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds, with a maximum of around 1,600 grams. This means a goose can easily outweigh a large hawk by a factor of three to five times.
The vast majority of North American hawks, including the common Red-shouldered and Cooper’s Hawks, focus their hunting efforts on smaller prey like rodents, reptiles, and songbirds. Red-tailed Hawks are generalist predators whose diet primarily centers on small mammals such as mice, voles, and squirrels. Attempting to subdue a prey item that is significantly heavier and capable of strong defense, like an adult goose, requires an unsustainable amount of energy expenditure and risks serious injury to the raptor.
For any raptor, the cost of an attack must not exceed the caloric benefit of the meal. The sheer size and power of an adult goose, combined with its strong wings and aggressive nature, make it an unprofitable and dangerous target. Predation is rare and limited to cases where the goose is already severely injured, ill, or compromised.
Predation Targeting: Vulnerable Goslings
The dynamic changes completely when considering goslings, the young of the goose. These newly hatched birds are small enough to fall within the acceptable prey range for larger raptors, making them highly vulnerable during their first few weeks of life. Goslings are still developing their flight feathers and defensive instincts, presenting a much easier target than their parents.
Red-tailed Hawks, for example, have been documented preying upon Canada Goose goslings, confirming that this life stage is a viable food source. The parents, however, are fiercely protective and will aggressively defend their young through mobbing behavior and direct confrontation. This parental defense is particularly intense when goslings are very small and unable to fend for themselves.
Hawks often exploit a momentary lapse in parental vigilance, such as when the family group is moving across open ground. Adding to the vulnerability, adult geese shed their flight feathers and become temporarily flightless during a post-breeding molt, which often coincides with the rearing of their young. This temporary flightlessness means the parents cannot escape a hawk attack by flying, forcing them to engage in ground defense.
Specific Raptor Species Involved
While many hawks avoid adult geese, a few of the largest and most specialized raptor species possess the size and hunting style to successfully target goslings and occasionally a weak adult. The Northern Goshawk is one such species, known for its powerful build and aggressive pursuit of large birds.
Northern Goshawks are opportunistic and agile hunters, frequently pursuing medium-sized birds, which can include geese in certain circumstances. These raptors are built for maneuverability within dense forests, allowing them to execute surprise attacks that can overwhelm a target quickly. The largest female Red-tailed Hawks may also attempt to take a gosling, as they are generalists who will seize any substantial opportunity for a meal.
It is important to differentiate these powerful hawks from true eagles, which operate on a different scale. Species like the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle are significantly larger than any hawk and are routine predators of adult geese. When an adult goose is taken from the sky, the predator is almost certainly a true eagle.