Northern Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis

The Northern Goshawk, more commonly known simply as the goshawk, is a large bird of prey, widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, with deciduous and coniferous forests their preferred habitat.

Share this bird:

Visual Identification

Appearance

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.

Size

Length

46cm to 61cm

Wingspan

98cm to 127cm

Weight

630g to 2kg

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Grey White

Secondary Colour

Black Brown

Beak Colour

Black

Leg Colour

Yellow

Primary Colour (Female)

Grey White

Secondary Colour (Female)

Brown

Beak Colour (Female)

Black

Leg Colour (Female)

Yellow

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Northern Goshawk can be found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Northern Goshawk can be found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Northern Goshawk is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

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.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 3,400 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subarctic

Distribution Map

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:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons