The above picture was drawn by G.E.Lodge and taken from a book published about 100 years ago (no longer covered by copyright) called "Hints on the Management of Hawks and Practical Falconry" by J.E.Harting. In this century, changes in technology have been breathtaking, yet the art of falconry has changed little and much of Harting's book is still relevant today. Technology has made a small impact though. Note the round bell on the Goshawk's tail feathers. Bells simply help locate a hawk that has flown out of sight. The modern equivalent is telemetry - a radio tag attached to the bird, tracked by a receiver on the ground. Surprisingly, many modern falconers still rely on bells. Telemetry sets are expensive and can also be unreliable !
Goshawks are highly prized by falconers because of their excellent hunting abilities. A rabbit or pheasant is no match for the speed and power of a Goshawk. Unfortunately this led to the bird's downfall. In the last century, when gamekeeping was popular in country areas, Goshawks were trapped or shot because they preyed upon valuable game birds. Goshawks were persecuted so much that they became extinct in Britain in about 1889.
A revival of interest in the old sport of falconry led to large numbers of Goshawks being imported into Britain from other countries. Goshawks are notoriously difficult to train and many of these imported birds escaped. Since the 1960's Goshawks have re-colonized parts of Britain where they were formerly extinct. These wild Goshawks are fully protected by law and cannot be taken from the wild or killed, yet they are still threatened by unscrupulous individuals who shoot adults or steal eggs or young to sell on the 'black-market'.
In the U.K. captive Goshawks must be registered with the Dept. of the Environment. Anyone wishing to keep Goshawks for falconry in the UK must ensure their hawk is registered correctly and refuse to buy a bird without the proper documentation. If your hawk escapes, you cannot take it back from the wild without a licence!