Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 20.9–25.2 in
53–64 cm - Wingspan
- 40.6–46.1 in
103–117 cm - Weight
- 22.3–48.1 oz
631–1364 g
Other Names
- Goshawk
- Autour des palombes (French)
- Gavilán azor (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Northern Goshawk is well known for its fierce defense of its nest. It commonly attacks people and other animals that approach the nest too closely.
- The Northern Goshawk can be very persistent in pursuing prey. One goshawk was seen pursuing a snowshoe hare for 45 to 60 minutes along a hedgerow until finally the hare ran into a clearing and was seized. A goshawk may also chase poultry into buildings.
- Attila the Hun wore an image of a Northern Goshawk on his helmet.
- The Northern Goshawk is found across northern America and Eurasia. Most of the Eurasian races have much more dark barring on the chest than the American form, but about half of all Siberian goshawks are nearly white.
- The name "goshawk" comes from the Old English words gos, meaning goose, and hafoc meaning hawk. It is pronounced as if the words are still separate, without any "sh" sound.
Habitat
Forest
Various forest types, especially mature forest.
Food
Birds
Large birds, squirrels, rabbits, and hares.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Bluish white.
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in white down and able to move around in nest.
Nest Description
A large bowl of thin sticks lined with bark and greenery, placed in large tree.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Perches silently, waiting and watching for prey. Switches perches after brief periods. Descends on prey rapidly, maneuvering through forest vegetation or willingly crashing through it.
Conservation
Least Concern
Apparently not as vulnerable as other raptor species to eggshell thinning from pesticides. Timber harvesting leads to some destruction of nests. The Northern Goshawk occurs even in fragmented forests, but perhaps less consistently than in large contiguous forest areas. Appears to be increasing slightly in the East.
Credits
- Squires, John R., and Richard T. Reynolds. 1997. Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). In The Birds of North America, No. 298 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and the American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.