Goshawk, common name for about 15 species of hawks. The name is applied to
several quite different birds. The word, derived from Old English, means goose
hawk, and some authorities believe that it was originally given to the
peregrine, the British bird of prey most likely to attack geese.
The northern goshawk breeds in heavy forests, primarily coniferous, around
the northern hemisphere from the tree line south to Mexico and the
Mediterranean. North American races are 53 to 66 cm (21 to 26 in) long, with a
wingspread of 102 to 117 cm (40 to 46 in). Adults are blue-gray above, with a
black cap and white "eyebrow"; the underparts of the American race are
finely barred with narrow gray lines. Some Eurasian races are more broadly
barred but others are pure white below. The young are dark brown above, streaked
brown and buff below. Northern goshawks feed primarily on large birds such as
grouse and ducks, as well as on mammals as large as hares. They were popular
among falconers of medieval Europe.
Among other goshawks are the brown goshawk and variable goshawk of Australia,
and the African goshawk and black and white goshawk of Africa south of the
Sahara. The gray hawk, of the American tropics, is called Mexican goshawk in
some old books, but it is not related to the true goshawks.
Scientific classification: Goshawks belong to the family Accipitridae of the
order Falconiformes. The northern goshawk is classified as Accipiter gentilis,
the brown goshawk as Accipiter fasciatus, the variable goshawk as Accipiter
novaehollandiae, the African goshawk as Accipiter tachiro, and the black
and white goshawk as Accipiter melanoleucus. The gray hawk is classified as
Buteo nitidus (sometimes Asturina nitida).
