Northern goshawk

The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a medium-large raptor in the family Accipitridae.

Northern goshawk
Adult
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	Accipiter
Species:	A. gentilis
Binomial name
Accipiter gentilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
Accipiter gentilis albidus Accipiter gentilis apache Accipiter gentilis arrigonii Accipiter gentilis atricapillus Accipiter gentilis buteoides Accipiter gentilis fujiyamae Accipiter gentilis gentilis Accipiter gentilis laingi Accipiter gentilis marginatus Accipiter gentilis schvedowi (eastern goshawk)[2]
Range of A. gentilis   Resident   Non-breeding
Synonyms
Falco gentilis Linnaeus, 1758

Accipiter gentilis

There are other species in this genus, but this bird is spoken of as the goshawk because it has a wide range over most of Europe, Eurasia and North America.^[3] Probably only the golden eagle has a wider range.

The goshawk is a "true hawk",^[4] and its scientific name in Latin is Accipiter, which means "hawk".

In the Middle Ages only the nobility were permitted to fly goshawks for falconry.^[5]

It is mainly a resident bird, but those from colder regions migrate south for the winter.^[3] In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops at nearly any time of the fall, depending on latitude.^[6]