The Northern Goshawk is a large hawk of about 55-61 cm in length, the largest of all the accipiters. Females are larger than males. Some characteristic features of this hawk are its broad wings and a long rounded tail. Plumage of an adult male is typically brown and slate gray with a black cap on the head. Under parts are light grey with fine black vertical streaks. The tail is dark grey with a white fluffy underside. The female plumage is similar to the male plumage, but browner in color. The feet and legs of the Northern Goshawk are yellow and the eyes are red. Juvenile plumage is dark brown to black with buff, white and light brown streaking. The tail is dark brown with wavy dark brown and whitish bands, and the underside lacks the fluffiness of the adult tail. The legs and feet of juveniles are greenish gray (Squires and Reynolds 1997).

Citations:

• Goodrich, L.J., and J.P. Smith. 2008. Raptor migration in North America. Pp. 37-149 in K.L. Bildstein, J.P. Smith, E. Ruelas Inzunza, and R.R. Veit (eds.), State of North America's Birds of Prey. Nuttall Ornithological Club, Cambridge, MA, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C
• Kennedy, P.L. (2003, January 2). Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentiles atricapillus): a technical conservation assessment. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Web. 01 August 2011: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/northerngoshawk.pdf
• Lincoln, F.C. 1935. Migration of Birds. Circular 16, revision by J. Zimmerman (1998). U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Squires, John R. and Richard T. Reynolds. 1997. Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/298
• Wheeler, B.K., C.M. White and J.M. Economidy. 2003. Raptors of Western North America: The Wheeler Guide.