Northern Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis

Also known as: Goshawk, Eurasian Goshawk

Predict Sightings

Habitat

Ground

Diet

VertFishScav

Active Time

Diurnal

Size

866 g

About This Species

A powerful forest raptor found across much of the Northern Hemisphere, hunting birds and mammals up to the size of hares through fast, agile flight beneath the canopy and along forest edges. It is a notoriously secretive breeder, favouring large stands of mature forest with a dense canopy for nesting, and is far more often glimpsed in a fast low pass than seen perched in the open. Watching forest clearings and edges, particularly in late winter when display flights begin, offers the best chance of a view.

Ethical Viewing Guidelines

This species is legally protected across virtually all of its range, and approaching an active nest is a serious matter both for the birds and, in many countries, under the law, since goshawks are notorious for abandoning nests or aggressively defending them against intruders that come too close.
Keep well away from any nest site, particularly during incubation and early chick-rearing, and use a scope or long lens rather than approaching on foot.
If a bird is seen carrying prey or displaying near a wood in late winter, treat it as a strong sign of a nearby nest and give the area a wide berth.

LCAvesAccipitriformesAccipitridae

Seasonal Activity

160,917 sightings · 2000–2026

Citizen science records via GBIF

All monthsThis month

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae

Traits

Diet: VertFishScav
Foraging: Ground
Activity: Diurnal
Body mass: 866 g

Photo

CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Occurrence data from GBIF.