Northern Harrier Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Here is a cool clip from a northern goshawk nest in Pennsylvania. Why would the goshawk clip the branch and line its active nest with it? The answer is simple: natural pest control! The leaves give off aromatic compounds that discourage parasites and nasty nest invertebrates like fly larvae. So, this practice is part of its nest sanitation rituals. This camera has been placed on an active nest to determine why many fail. At this time, we do not have any documented northern goshawk nests in Maryl