American Goshawk

American Goshawk
Accipter atricapillus

by Nick Bonomo
The American Goshawk is the largest member of the genus Accipiter in North America. Most closely related to the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk, this bird combines features of the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii, formerly Accipiter cooperii) but in a bigger, meaner package; all three are superbly built to hunt and eat smaller birds. Adult goshawks are very distinctive. Their combination of gray upperparts, white underparts that are finely barred, and a very strong white-and-dark head pattern is unique among local raptors. The largest females are as large as Red-tailed Hawks.

Immatures, however, pose an infamous identification problem. They appear brown and streaky like many other young hawks. Immature Cooper’s Hawks are very commonly mistaken for the much rarer American Goshawk. At this age, look for the bird’s bulky proportions; Cooper’s Hawk looks lankier and thinner-bodied than the robust goshawk. An American Goshawk’s wings have longer secondaries than a Cooper’s, which gives the wings a bulge along the trailing edge in flight while giving the impression of a broader-winged bird overall. Also note the density of the streaking below, as Goshawks are heavily streaked while Cooper’s have thinner streaks thus appear paler below.

Where and when to find it: Unlike the more suburban Cooper’s Hawk, American Goshawk is a forest-dwelling species that tends to be much more reclusive than its smaller Accipiter cousins. If you’re exceedingly lucky, you may come across a goshawk in or near dense woodland at any time of year. They are known as ferocious nest defenders, so if you accidentally enter a goshawk’s territory during the spring breeding season you may find yourself running back to your car with a screaming hawk hot on your tail.

The best way to see a Northern Goshawk in Connecticut, however, is by visiting a hawk watch during late autumn. Anytime from now through early December, with a peak in November, you might see a goshawk migrating at such famous locations as Lighthouse Point in New Haven or Quaker Ridge in Greenwich. Typically only a handful are seen each autumn at either location, nearly always immatures, which goes to show how uncommon they really are.

Conservation status: Since the American Goshawk is the most widely distributed Accipiter in the world, occurring on four continents, it is consider a species “of Least Concern” by the IUCN. However, locally, the goshawk is susceptible to habitat loss via forest clearing and fragmentation. North American populations appear to be stable.

Photos from Carolinabirds.org: Norbert Kenntner, top, and Elaine R. Wilson.