Northern goshawk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northern goshawk
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Accipiter
Species:	gentilis
Subspecies
Accipiter gentilis albidus Accipiter gentilis apache Accipiter gentilis arrigonii Accipiter gentilis atricapillus Accipiter gentilis buteoides Accipiter gentilis fujiyamae Accipiter gentilis gentilis Accipiter gentilis laingi Accipiter gentilis marginatus Accipiter gentilis schvedowi (eastern goshawk)
Range of A. gentilis      Resident      Non-breeding
Synonyms
Falco gentilis Linnaeus, 1758

Accipiter gentilis

The northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis) is a medium-large raptor in the family Accipitridae.

There are other species in this genus, but this bird is spoken of as the goshawk because it has a wide range over most of Europe, Eurasia and North America. Probably only the golden eagle has a wider range.

The goshawk is a "true hawk", and its scientific name in Latin is Accipiter, which means "hawk".

In the Middle Ages only the nobility were permitted to fly goshawks for falconry.

It is mainly a resident bird, but those from colder regions migrate south for the winter. In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops at nearly any time of the fall, depending on latitude.

Images for kids

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  Adult in the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona, in a pine tree that typifies the habitat used locally

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  Juvenile (left) and adult by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

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  Juvenile in flight, the most likely age and condition to mistake a goshawk for another species

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  An adult goshawk shows its richly streaked plumage.

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  Large juvenile Cooper's hawks such as this are at times mistaken for a goshawk

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  Typical adult with a strong brownish-gray cast, from the nominate subspecies, A. g. gentilis

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  Typical adult from the American subspecies (A. g. atricapillus) showing its strong supercilium, red eyes, black head, and blue-gray back

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  A captive specimen of whitish large goshawk of Siberian origin, possibly part of A. g. albidus.

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  Adult goshawks maintain territories with display flights

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  Goshawks are particularly agile hunters of the woodlands

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  A juvenile goshawk beginning to pluck its prey, a likely rock dove.

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  Northern goshawks most often prey on birds, especially in Eurasia

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  Adult on Corsica with its fresh prey, a common wood pigeon

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  Illustrating a goshawk attempting to catch a rabbit, by G. E. Lodge

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  Woodpeckers such as northern flickers often fall victim to goshawks

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  Juvenile in Japan with a young bird prey item

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  A goshawk preying on a brown rat in a fairly urbanized area.

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  Chasing an osprey, most likely to rob it of food, but the osprey is even considered possible prey

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  Illustration of the formidable talons and beak, which are both proportionately large relative to their size, and give them a predatory advantage over many other raptors

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  Prey selection frequently overlaps between goshawks and American martens, seldom will both species prey on the other

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  Egg Collection Museum Wiesbaden

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  Nests are usually large structures placed quite high near the canopy on mature, tall trees, as seen on this birch in Norway

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  Mother goshawk seldom leaves the nest in either the incubation or the brooding stage, until the young are about 2 weeks

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  Nestling northern goshawks in Germany

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  Two juveniles from Pennsylvania after they've become "branchers", or have left the nest but are not yet flying competently

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  Juvenile goshawk from Poland

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  Falconer's bird in Scotland

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  Iranian falconer with a trained goshawk

See also

In Spanish: Accipiter gentilis para niños