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Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Astur gentilis

Identify the Northern Goshawk by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Northern Goshawk is a powerful, secretive forest hawk built for fast pursuits through dense woodland. Widespread across the temperate and boreal forests of Eurasia, it is mainly resident, although birds from colder regions move south in winter. Formerly placed in Accipiter, it is now classified in Astur, and North American birds are treated as a separate species, the American Goshawk.

Did you know?

  • The word “goshawk” comes from Old English for “goose-hawk”.
  • Its species name gentilis, meaning “noble”, reflects its use in falconry by the medieval nobility.

Voice

Call
Alarm call

About the species

Identification

A robust, long-tailed hawk. Adults are dark grey above; the pale underparts are densely barred grey, and there is a bold white eyebrow. Juveniles are dark grey-brown above and pale with dark streaks below. The female is clearly larger and bulkier than the male. The call is a harsh “kya-kya-kya”; chicks beg with shrill calls.

Family

Accipitridae

Size

Large (crow)

Colours

grey, white, black, orange, yellow

About the habitat

Mature coniferous or mixed forest with large trees, often near edges, clearings and rides, and mosaics of woodland with fields and wetlands for hunting.

Diet

Mainly medium-sized birds such as pigeons, crows and grouse, and mammals such as squirrels, hares and rabbits, taken by surprise from cover.

Behaviour

Hunts by stealth from cover or with low, fast surprise attacks, powering through trees with rapid wingbeats and sharp turns. Pairs defend large forest territories and build substantial stick nests high in tall trees; adults are conspicuous and vocal near the nest but otherwise elusive. It has a long history in falconry.

Sources

Photo: Norbert Kenntner, Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern Goshawk ad M2.jpg

Sound: Adrienne Eaton, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Accipiter_gentilis_-_Northern_Goshawk_XC124805.ogg

Sound: Alvaro Ortiz Troncoso, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Accipiter_gentilis_-_Northern_Goshawk_XC396773.mp3

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_goshawk

See also