Northern Goshawk
(Accipiter gentilis)

Summary

Picture of bird
© Dick Cannings
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Northern Goshawk is a forest-associated diurnal raptor that is not monitored effectively by existing surveys. Christmas Bird Count data suggest little overall change in the population since about 1970, but the reliability of this estimate is considered low. The subspecies Accipiter gentilis laingi, largely confined to Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island, is listed as Threatened in Canada because of its small population and reliance on large tracts of older forest (COSEWIC 2013a). The latest population estimate for A. g. laingi is about 1000 mature individuals (about half the global population), and this population is thought to be declining (COSEWIC 2013a). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Listing of the main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
COSEWIC (Canada)Threatened2013Northern Goshawk laingi subspecies
SARA (Canada)Threatened2003Northern Goshawk laingi subspecies
IUCN (Global)Least Concern2013 
Wild Species (Canada)Secure2010 
Bird Conservation Region StrategyPriority Species2013 

Population status

Geographic areaStatusReliability
CanadaLittle ChangeLow
 

Population estimate

Canada50,000 to 500,000 adults
 

Distribution maps

 

Migration strategy, occurrence

Resident

Responsibility for conservation of world population

CanadaModerate

Conservation and management

The breeding populations and breeding success of Northern Goshawks across most of Canada are both linked to the 10-year population cycle in snowshoe hares. The hares, along with other species strongly affected by the hare cycle such as grouse and squirrels, are the primary prey of goshawks across the boreal forests of North America (Doyle and Smith 1994). Northern Goshawk breeding populations can be negatively affected by logging, especially harvest techniques that create large openings and fragmented forest (Squires and Reynolds 1997). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.

 

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

  • conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
  • stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
  • management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
  • other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic Region - New Brunswick
Boreal Hardwood TransitionBoreal Hardwood Transition, sub-region and priority type: Ontario Region
Boreal Softwood ShieldBoreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Ontario Region
Boreal Taiga PlainsBoreal Taiga Plains, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern Region
Great BasinGreat Basin, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
Northern Pacific RainforestNorthern Pacific Rainforest, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
Northern RockiesNorthern Rockies, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
Northwestern Interior ForestNorthwestern Interior Forest, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
 

References