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Eurasian Goshawk (Astur gentilis) — photo 1 of 4
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Hawks and eagles

Eurasian Goshawk

Astur gentilis

Year-round

How to recognize it

  • Large hawk, with females noticeably bigger than males

  • Broad white eyebrow stripe, nearly meeting on the nape

  • Blue-grey to dark brown above; pale below with fine grey barring

  • Pale grey tail with 3–4 dark bands

About the species

The Eurasian goshawk is a powerful forest hunter with broad wings, a long tail, and a compact, purposeful shape. Adults have a hard, focused look that stands out once you notice their bold eyebrow line.

It usually stays hidden and moves fast. Most of the year it is quiet, but in the breeding season it becomes much more obvious, calling more often, performing soaring display flights, and defending its territory aggressively.

It favors woods, especially where open patches, roads, marshes, or meadows lie nearby. It mainly takes medium-sized quarry, and in towns it often hunts pigeons; many populations stay year-round, while northern ones move south for winter.

Where to find

  • In mature city parks and wooded edges with tall old trees, Eurasian Goshawks give themselves away with sharp calls from the canopy in the breeding season.

  • Along the edges of urban woods, vacant lots, and broad clearings, look for a hidden perch before a fast dash after pigeons or crows.

  • Near pond banks, canal fringes, and marshy pockets with reeds, they may cross low between trees where an opening gives room to hunt.

  • Around old bridges, monuments, and stone rooftops in central districts, watch for a high lookout perch as they scan for prey.

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