A FOREST RAPTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

Much sought-after by birders, often trained and used by falconers, and eagerly watched for at raptor watch locations across North America, the Northern Goshawk is an incredibly effective avian predator. Alongside the science we use to describe the species and analyze data, you know when you see a goshawk that there is something special, something different, about this bird.

Any falconer, raptor bander, or raptor rehabilitator who has experience with the species will agree. Goshawks are highly focused hunters; they are described as “fearless.” Numerous anecdotal reports refer to goshawks attempting to take prey species larger than themselves. Scientists do not generally like to use anthropomorphic or pejorative terms such as “fierce” when speaking of wild animals, but even those words seem inadequate to describe the demeanor of a goshawk.

The bird is the largest of the 51 species from around the world in the genus . The largest females measure up to 25 inches long, with a 50-inch wingspan, and they can weigh nearly 5 pounds. By contrast, a Common Raven has a similar length and wingspan but weighs about half as much. North of Mexico, the two other accipiters are smaller — Cooper’s Hawk is about 17 inches