Five facts about goshawks

RSPB Scotland's Allie McGregor shares five fun facts about the breathtaking goshawk

Five facts about goshawks

It can be tricky to identify a goshawk as they are easily confused with sparrowhawks. Both species have similar colouring and barred plumage on their chests and tails. Goshawks are much larger than sparrowhawks, and the two species have slightly different flight patterns. When up close adult goshawks have a fierce expression with bright red eyes and a distinctive white eyebrow.

The name goshawk is a contraction of ‘goose-hawk’ which, confusingly, was once a widely used name for peregrine.

The scientific name for goshawk, gentilis, hints at the goshawk’s historic high status. Goshawk ownership was once a great privilege reserved for Norman and Saxon nobility – noble is one of the meanings of gentilis 

Goshawk pairs copulate as many as 500-600 times per clutch. This number would usually be associated with a more promiscuous species, but studies have suggested that goshawks have a rather low rate of infidelity.

In late winter and spring goshawk males and females perform a 'sky-dance' display. Displays can include slow and exaggerated flapping, and plunges followed by steep vertical swoops. They often repeat the display several times.

Find out more about goshawks and where you might see them here