The Northern Goshawk is a large, fast-flying, powerful forest hawk that occurs mainly in open to dense mature boreal forests. It is as large and powerful as a buteo but has the trademark speed and maneuverability of the accipiters. It has long, broad wings that taper towards the tip and a long, broad tail that is held closed unless soaring. The head is large and bulky.
Adults are dark gray above with a light gray chest and belly heavily streaked with black and darker grays. This is distinctive among the hawks. It has a prominent dark patch extending from the nape to the eye, and distinctive pale eyeline. Adults have fierce-looking orange to red eyes. The tail is strongly barred, the wings lightly barred, and the vent is pure white. The beak is gray at the tip, pale at the base, and with a yellow cere. The legs and feet are yellow. Colors of adult males are brighter than adult females. Immatures are brown above with heavy vertical streaking with brown and white on the chest and belly; their wings and tails are much more stronlg barred than on any adult.
In flight, Northern Goshawks have heavy, deep wingbeats when flying level. This accipiter often soars like a buteo, but also looks like a falcon, with sweptback wings, when closing in on prey.
Since the female is much larger than the male, she handles most of maintaining breeding territory, taking care of the young, and defending the nest from intruders. The smaller male does much of the hunting and bringing food back to the female at the nest. Outside the breeding season the Northern Goshawk is solitary.
Populations and reproduction of Northern Goshawks are declining in parts of the western United States due to uncontrolled forestry practices and urbanization. It has been designated as a Management Indicator Species by the United States National Forest Management Act.
Every 10 years or so cyclic irruptions of Northern Goshawks occur at which time they becomes much more common in southern parts of its wintering range. At the Duluth (Minnesota) Hawk Watch, large numbers were reported in 1972, 1982, and 1992.
SIZE
The Northern Goshawk is sexually dimorphic in size, with females being up to 25 percent larger than males. It is the large accipiter hawk, being about 10 times heavier than the Sharp-shinned Hawk and about the same size as a Red-tailed Hawk. Lengths average 23 inches (58 centimeters) for females and 19 inches (49 centimeters) for males. Wingspans average 43 inches (108 centimeters) for females and 39 inches (101 centimeters) for males. Weights average 2.5 pounds (1,137 grams) for females and 2.0 pounds (912 grams) for males. The largest females may reach weights of 3.0 pounds (1,360 grams).
MORPHS
There are no light or dark color morphs known for this species. Partial albinism has been noted.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
Adult - Flight
- large hawk with light blue-gray body and bold white line above eye
- long tapered, rounded wings
- primary feathers lightly barred with gray-brown
- feathers undertail white
- dark gray tail with three or four dark bands when fanned
Immature - Flight
- large hawk with buffy underparts striped with long streaks of brown
- pale line above eye
- long tapered, rounded wings
- flight feathers noticeably barred with dark brown
- dark brown tail with wide band at tip and light and dark bands about the same width
- under tail coverts streaked with brown
SIMILAR SPECIES
The Northern Goshawk can be confused with the similar-shaped Cooper's Hawk but it is much more massive, a more powerful flier, and more broadly proportioned. Adult plumage is distinctly different from Cooper's Hawk but immature plumage patterns are similar.
In flight, this hawk can resemble the powerful Gyrfalcon, with its long heavy body, dark grayish color, and swept back wings as it hurtles after prey. The Gyrfalcon has much more severely tapered wings and typically stoops on prey from above. It should be noted that the Gyrfalcon also "tail chases" a lot in capturing prey.
When perched or soaring, goshawks can resemble buteos like the Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, or Broad-winged Hawk, especially during immature plumage. At a distance, soaring immatures can only be identified by the way they flap their wings: steady, deep, and powerful.
OTHER NAMES
It has also been known as "goshawk", "chicken hawk", "autour des palombes", and "gavilan pollero."
ETYMOLOGY
The scientific name Accipiter gentilis translates into "noble's bird of prey". Noble refers to European falconry practices where only members of the nobility (or royal families) could fly this hawk.
MYTHOLOGY
Eurasian falconers prize the Northern Goshawk as a hunting bird more than any falcon, but it is not as highly valued by North American falconers. It is widely known to be a fierce hunter, and is sometimes given credit for taking larger prey than usual.
