The word goshawk comes from the Old English name goose-hawk. The northern goshawk is a large hawk that lives in the forests of North America and Eurasia. A male goshawk weighs about 630 to 1,100 grams (22 to 39 ounces). Female goshawks average 61 cm (24 inches) long, and males average 55 cm (22 inches), so a female is a little bigger than a male. As of November 2026, the IUCN Red List lists the northern goshawk as Least Concern.
A goshawk has short, rounded wings and a long, rounded tail, and it can weave in and out of trees while flying fast. Its long tail helps it steer among the trees, and its short wings let it speed up quickly. It flies with a few flaps and then a glide. It can also soar for a long time without flapping its wings. Its wings stretch about 1 to 1.2 meters (3 to 4 feet) from tip to tip.
A goshawk perches for a short time, watches for prey, then moves to a new perch. Prey is an animal that a hunter eats. A goshawk eats birds and small animals such as squirrels, rabbits and hares. It hunts in forests and also along the edges of forests and across open spots. Goshawks are hard to see in the woods.
A goshawk builds a nest of sticks high in a tree, and a pair often uses the same nest again in later years. In late winter and spring, goshawks fly a sky-dance display high over the trees. While the chicks are small, the male brings food for the female and the chicks. At about 34 to 35 days old, young goshawks begin to move onto branches near the nest, and they practice flying by stepping out onto the limbs of their nest tree.
Words to know
- perch: sitting branch
- soar: glide high
- glide: float on air
- chicks: baby birds
