The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a large (20 - 26 inch), robust hawk. It has a long narrow tail and short rounded wings. The wingspread is 3-1/2 to 4 feet. There is a whitish stripe over the eye. Coloration of the adults is blue-gray above with a black crown. The underparts are pale and barred with gray. Young birds are similar in form, but brown above, streaked below. The voice sounds like
kak-kak-kak-kak-kak.
The Cooper's Hawk is similar but smaller. This hawk breeds in coniferous forests; winters in farmlands, woodland edges and open country.
The nest is bulky, made of sticks and placed in a tree. Three to five white or pale bluish eggs are laid. The nest is boldly defended, the birds attacking anyone who comes too close.
The goshawk feeds mostly on birds and some small mammals. It hunts in trees and thickets and relentlessly pursues its prey, darting in among the branches.
The Northern Goshawk breeds from Alaska east through Canada to Newfoundland, also south to New Mexico, the Great Lakes and New England. It is also venturing southward to the northern Appalachians.
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Order: Falconiformes | Family: Accipitridae | Species: Accipiter gentilis
