Accipiter gentilis
The Northern Goshawk is a large, powerful raptor with a slate-grey back, pale grey barred underparts, and a distinctive white eyebrow stripe. It has a long tail and short, broad wings adapted for manoeuvring through forests.
Females are noticeably larger than males, often appearing browner and have more heavily pronounced markings that may look barred across their breasts and belly.
Juveniles have brown upperparts and cream underparts with dark streaks, gradually moulting into adult plumage over two years. Their eyes also remain pale yellow until their second year, when they darken to the red-orange shade seen in adult goshawks.
Length
46cm to 61cm
Wingspan
98cm to 127cm
Weight
630g to 2kg
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
Northern Goshawks inhabit mature, mixed forests across North America, Europe, and northern Asia. They prefer areas with dense canopy cover and open understories for hunting.
In North America, they are found in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, extending into the northern and western United States. European populations are widespread but patchily distributed, with strongholds in Scandinavia and Russia.
The top locations in the UK for spotting goshawks include Northamptonshire’s Kielder Forest, the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, and Hampshire’s New Forest National Park.
Sea level to 3,400 meters
Temperate, Subarctic
This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Northern Goshawk. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.
A few things to keep in mind:
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