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Northern Goshawk
last update: Apr 21, 2009 11:18 AM
Latin name: Accipiter gentilis
Population: 1-10 million individuals
Cites classified: Least Concern
Where found: Circumpolar from Scandinavia to Chukotka and Kamchatka, Russia but only to the tree line and in North America from central Alaska across Canada
Age/ life expectancy: 11 years
Wingspan: 95-125 cm
Length: 50-60 cm
Weight: 650-1250 g
Mating/Breeding: The birds are monogamous, and the pair bonds often long-term. The nest, a platform made from thin sticks, lined with bark and greenery, is typically placed at a major crotch in a tree, 25-50 feet off the ground. The female does most of the nest construction, and the nest may be reused from year to year, growing quite large. The male feeds the female before she begins to lay eggs. The female incubates the 2-4 eggs for around 32 days. The male continues to bring food, and may take over incubation for short stints while the female eats. Once the young hatch, the female broods constantly for 9-14 days. The male provides food, and the female generally feeds the young. Nestlings venture out of the nest to nearby branches at 34-35 days, and take their first flights shortly after that. The parents continue to feed the young until they are about 70 days old.
Eggs: 3-4 blue-white eggs
Hibernation: most of the population are residents but some birds migrate south for the winter
Aggressive: It commonly attacks people and other animals that approach the nest too closely.
Hunting Habits: rapid, agile flight through trees in pursuit of prey, yet kills on the ground
Feed on: birds and small mammals
Predators: bald eagles and golden eagles
Colour/Body: the adult Goshawk is solid gray above, with finely barred, lighter gray below. It has a distinctive white bar over its red eyes. The juvenile is mottled-brown above with brown and buff streaking below. The juvenile has light lines over its eyes, which are yellow. The goshawk's tail is long, but wider than those of the other accipiters. The juvenile's tail is more darkly banded than that of the adult. The Goshawk is similar in shape to the Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk, with short round wings, and a long narrow tail.
Interesting Trivia:
- Attila the Hun wore an image of a Northern Goshawk on his helmet.
- 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.
