American Goshawk

Astur atricapillus

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBird Wikipedia

About the American Goshawk

The American goshawk (Astur atricapillus) is a species of raptor in the family Accipitridae. It was first described by Alexander Wilson in 1812. The American goshawk was previously considered conspecific with the Eurasian goshawk but was assigned to a separate species in 2023 based on differences in morphology, vocalizations, and genetic divergence. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter. In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops at nearly any time of the fall depending on latitude.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Astur atricapillus
Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
Order: Accipitriformes

Similar species

Other members of the hawks, eagles, and kites family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

Know when the American Goshawk turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →