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In On the Move, our regular column about migration, we present pairs of distribution maps from eBird that you can use to compare where interesting birds are at different times of year. We featured Northern Goshawk, pictured above, in our April 2017 issue.
Northern Goshawk
The largest and least frequently seen of North America’s accipiters, Northern Goshawk is highly sought after by birdwatchers. It breeds mainly in coniferous forest in the boreal and temperate zones, from Alaska across northern Canada, in the northeastern United States, in much of the Interior West, and south into western Mexico (right map). Goshawks are a partial migrant. By winter, some have vacated their breeding areas and can occur as far south as the central Great Plains and, rarely, southeastern states. An aggressive and powerful hawk, Northern Goshawk is masterful at hunting in dense woods and can power through thick brush in pursuit of prey. Goshawks are seen routinely at spring and fall hawk watches, which can be some of the best places to become familiar with them.
See eBird’s real-time distribution map for Northern Goshawk
8 Hotspots Near You where you can look for Northern Goshawk
eBird is the real-time online checklist operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. “On the Move” is written by eBird’s Garrett MacDonald, Chris Wood, Marshall Iliff, and Brian Sullivan. Submit your bird sightings at ebird.org.
A version of this article appeared in “Birding Briefs” in the April 2017 issue of BirdWatching. Subscribe
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