Northern Goshawk

The elusive northern goshawk

The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is yellow listed (not at risk) in British Columbia. It’s a sturdy hawk that is roughly the size of a raven and is most easily identified by the white eye stripe over its blood-red eye. The bird's call is a harsh "kak-kak-kak."

Map

Biodiversity Interactive Map - No Map Layer

Range

• Throughout Canada and northern states in the USA
• Northern goshawks are distributed throughout the Columbia Basin

Habitat

They prefer old-growth forests, mature coniferous forests or mixed coniferous and deciduous upland forests

Reproduction

• The northern goshawk builds nests lined with conifer twigs next to the trunks of trees, or at the tops of broken trunks
• Usually one clutch of 2-4 eggs produced per year, from late April through early May
• Incubation, conducted principally by the female, takes 28-38 days

Listing and Date

Threats to Species

Not at risk

Select Reports

• Charbonneau Creek Northern Goshawk Nest Survey - Final Report

For more information on this species, visit The BC Species and Ecosystem Explorer and enter “northern goshawk” in the Species Name field.