Northern Goshawk
2010-04-12 @ 21:43:08
The Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
It is a widespread species that inhabits the temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. In Europe and North America, where there is only one goshawk, it is often referred to (officially and unofficially, respectively) as simply the "Goshawk". It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter.
This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.
The Northern Goshawk appears on the flag of the Azores. The archipelago of the Azores, Portugal, takes its name from the Portuguese language word for goshawk, because the explorers who discovered the archipelago thought the birds of prey they saw there were goshawks, later it was found that these birds were kites or Common Buzzards.
It is a widespread species that inhabits the temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. In Europe and North America, where there is only one goshawk, it is often referred to (officially and unofficially, respectively) as simply the "Goshawk". It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter.
This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.
The Northern Goshawk appears on the flag of the Azores. The archipelago of the Azores, Portugal, takes its name from the Portuguese language word for goshawk, because the explorers who discovered the archipelago thought the birds of prey they saw there were goshawks, later it was found that these birds were kites or Common Buzzards.