Northern Goshawk
Astur gentilis
Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · CC BY 2.0
The Northern Goshawk is a powerful forest hawk. The canonical female weighs about 1.3 kg but kills hares and grouse up to twice her weight. Short wings and a long tail let it chase prey through dense trees with elite agility, and it defends its nest fiercely. Its small size and lack of armor keep it far below large predators in raw power and defense.
Detailed ratings
Research-backed ratings on one 0–100 scale for all 341 animals (updated 2026-09-28). How ratings work
Special abilities
It holds a fleeing target at a constant visual bearing to cut it off, then switches to direct pursuit for the final strike. Through dense woodland this lets it catch fast, dodging birds and squirrels at close range.
Powerful gripping muscles drive the talons in and squeeze, while the head is held back from kicks. Females have killed mountain hares weighing up to 2.4 times their own weight.
Unique traits
Short, hidden hunting flights averaging only 83–94 seconds, from perch to strike, make it one of the most feared woodland predators of birds.
Females can be more than twice the weight of males in some populations, so the pair hunts different prey sizes.
How it fights
Weapons
- The feet are the weapon. It kills by driving its talons into prey and squeezing, holding its head back to avoid flailing limbs, then kneading until the prey stops struggling. It takes a wide range of birds and mammals: corvids, pigeons, grouse, pheasants, thrushes and woodpeckers, and squirrels, rabbits and hares. Males have taken rabbits up to 1.6 kg, about 2.2 times their weight. Females in Fennoscandia have killed adult mountain hares of 2.7–3.6 kg, up to 2.4 times their own weight, and adult females have been reported killing cock capercaillie in winter. It sometimes preys on ravens, which are about its own size and fight back.
Struggles vs
- Only about 1.3 kg in absolute mass.
- No armor; light skeleton.
- Burst hunter; long open-country chases are not its strength.
- Prey that turns sharply sideways can break its visual lock.
- Vulnerable to eagle-owls, large eagles, foxes and martens when on the ground or moulting.
- Weight
- 1.3 kg3 lb
- Height
- No reliable measurement
- Length
- 62 cm24.4 in
- Top speed
- No reliable measurement
- Bite force
- No reliable measurement
- Lifespan
- 7 years
- Home biome
- Forest
- Lifestyle
- Mostly solitary
Rated specimen: Healthy mature adult female of a northern or central European population, 1.3 kg, 62.0 cm total length, about 1.15 m wingspan.
Fun facts
- A goshawk fitted with a head camera helped scientists work out how it steers to intercept fleeing prey.
- Prey that jink sharply sideways are the ones most likely to break a goshawk's visual lock.
- Female goshawks have killed mountain hares up to 2.4 times their own weight.
- Some Białowieża Forest goshawks commuted up to 20 km to hunt pigeons in a town.
- Siberian jays have a special mobbing response to goshawks, their main predator, and young jays that witness it survive better.
- A goshawk killed by a fox once slashed the fox's windpipe, and the fox died soon afterwards.
Closest rivals by power. Tap one for the full breakdown, or pick any opponent.
vs EmuWins · 50% · Toss-up
W
vs Red-tailed HawkLoses · 50% · Toss-up
L
vs Wedge-tailed EagleLoses · 51% · Toss-up
L
vs Philippine EagleWins · 51% · Toss-up
W
vs Steller's Sea EagleWins · 51% · Toss-up
W
vs Harpy EagleLoses · 51% · Toss-up
L
vs Emperor PenguinLoses · 51% · Toss-up
L
vs OspreyWins · 51% · Toss-up
W Northern Goshawk battle analysis
The goshawk is the forest's surprise attacker. It waits on a perch, then launches a short, hidden flight, usually under a minute and a half, through gaps in the trees. When it has been seen, it can still turn a chase into a sprint through the branches, holding its target at a fixed bearing to cut it off before switching to a direct strike.
Its power is unusual for its size. Females weighing about 1.3 kg kill mountain hares of up to 3.6 kg, and adult females have been reported taking cock capercaillie. It kills by squeezing, and the grip is backed by large gripping muscles like those of other predatory hawks. Nest defense matches this: goshawks attack intruders, people included, and one goshawk killed by a fox fatally wounded the fox in return.
In an absolute matchup, though, it is a bird of little more than a kilogram with no armor. Its best fights happen in woodland, where it can use cover and turn faster than prey can follow. In the open, against a heavier animal ready for it, or once pinned on the ground, its advantages disappear quickly.
Habitat & range
The goshawk breeds across the forests of Europe, North Africa and northern Asia to Japan. It prefers large patches of mature forest with open space beneath the canopy, but also uses farmland woods, forest edges and, increasingly since the 20th century, wooded areas in cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Tokyo. Northern birds may move south in winter.
Diet & hunting
It is a generalist predator of medium-sized birds and mammals. Corvids, pigeons, grouse, pheasants, thrushes and woodpeckers dominate the bird prey; squirrels, rabbits and hares dominate the mammal prey. One goshawk needs about 120–150 g of food a day, and a kill can last one to three days. Hunting success is roughly 15–30% overall, higher on some prey. In Białowieża Forest, some males hunted in the forest while others commuted up to 20 km to hunt pigeons in town.
Social life
Adults live as territorial pairs outside the breeding season. Each sex defends the territory mainly against its own sex. No regular group hunting is documented, though pairs occasionally hunt agile prey together.
Conservation
The species is listed as Least Concern. It was heavily persecuted in the past and has recovered in many areas. In the UK, BTO atlas data show a clear increase in occupied 10-km squares, linked to reduced persecution and better access to prey. Illegal killing and loss of mature forest remain local threats.
Quick answers
How strong is a Northern Goshawk?
On the Animal Battle Stats scale, the Northern Goshawk has an attack rating of 36 and a power index of 52 out of 100, which ranks it #153 of 341 animals and puts it in B tier (Strong). Its strongest stat is agility (93).
How much does a Northern Goshawk weigh?
A typical adult Northern Goshawk weighs about 1.3 kg (3 lb). Rated specimen: healthy mature adult female of a northern or central European population, 1.3 kg, 62.0 cm total length, about 1.15 m wingspan.
How fast is a Northern Goshawk?
There is no reliable measured top speed for the Northern Goshawk, so we do not publish one. Its agility rating, which covers acceleration, reflexes and evasion, is 93 out of 100.
What does a Northern Goshawk eat?
It is a generalist predator of medium-sized birds and mammals. Corvids, pigeons, grouse, pheasants, thrushes and woodpeckers dominate the bird prey; squirrels, rabbits and hares dominate the mammal prey. One goshawk needs about 120–150 g of food a day, and a kill can last one to three days. Hunting success is roughly 15–30% overall, higher on some prey. In Białowieża Forest, some males hunted in the forest while others commuted up to 20 km to hunt pigeons in town.
Is the Northern Goshawk endangered?
No. The Northern Goshawk is listed as Least Concern. The species is listed as Least Concern. It was heavily persecuted in the past and has recovered in many areas. In the UK, BTO atlas data show a clear increase in occupied 10-km squares, linked to reduced persecution and better access to prey. Illegal killing and loss of mature forest remain local threats.
What animals can beat a Northern Goshawk?
Among its closest rivals, the Red-tailed Hawk (50%), the Wedge-tailed Eagle (51%), the Harpy Eagle (51%), the Emperor Penguin (51%) would be favored against the Northern Goshawk. It would be favored against the Emu, the Philippine Eagle, the Steller's Sea Eagle, the Osprey.
Researched 2026-09-28. Ratings are editorial judgments built from these sources; measurements describe a healthy adult female.
- Wikipedia, Eurasian goshawktaxonomy split, mass by sex and region, length, wingspan, prey, hunting flights, killing method, territory, predators
- BTO BirdFacts, Goshawkmass, lifespan
- Animal Diversity Web, Accipiter gentilismass, length, lifespan, nest defense
- Animal-borne video study of goshawk pursuit 2015, Journal of Experimental Biologypursuit steering, prey evasion
- Białowieża Forest GPS study 2026, Scientific Reportsforaging flexibility, travel
- Goshawk hunting behaviour and breeding performance 2013, Die Naturwissenschaftenforaging movements, age effects
- Comparative grasping-muscle study 2024, Anatomical Recordgrip anatomy
- Raptor wing morphing with flight speed 2021, Journal of the Royal Society Interfaceflight control
- Reversed size dimorphism in the northern goshawk 2015, Oecologiasexual size difference
- Siberian jay mobbing experiment 2017, The American Naturalistpredator impact, fun fact
- Commons, Northern goshawk (Duvhök)image candidate
Photo: “Goshawk (20120569249).jpg” by Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK, CC BY 2.0, background removed and cropped. Original