Goshawk? USA Alaska Peninsula (1 Viewer)

[UgashikBob]

Greetings:
Closest I can come with doc I have is Northern Goshawk. We have Gyrfalcon, Peregrine, and Merlin in the area but this is larger than the last two. Can anyone tell me what it is and if its immature or adult?

Thank You

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Northern Harrier

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Agreed.

 

[Brosnabirder]

And it's an adult female

 

[UgashikBob]

Can any of you relate the defining characteristics of the Harrier vs a Goshawk?
Thank you all for your prompt reply.

 

[RJP]

Goshawk has broader wings. Harriers have leaner bodies - Goshawks are more robust. Goshawks have longer tails. Goshawks also have very big fluffy white undertail coverts, Harriers do not. Harriers have a "facial disk" similar to an owl, Goshawks don't.

 

[UgashikBob]

RJP
Thank you for the details.

 

[howiewu]

Yes, "owl face" says Northern Harrier, they also have a white rump (not very obvious in this picture though; it's most obvious seen from above).

 

[Biancone]

Differences in habitat and flight behaviour also. You'd expect to see harriers most often in or next to open country, in very low and somewhat slow flight, wingbeats alternating with wavering gliding flight with wings held in shallow 'V' (always exceptions of course). Goshawks tend to be either perched in wooded cover for hours or in fast flight in, over or next to wooded areas. Again, always exceptions, but essentially you have a much better chance of getting such a nice sharp image as yours when the subject is a harrier!
Brian

 

[Sangahyando]

Goshawk has broader wings. Harriers have leaner bodies - Goshawks are more robust.

To illustrate this: while both species have a similar wingspan, the Goshawk is almost twice as heavy on average (similarly, Peregrines are also significantly heavier than Northern Harriers). Due to their long wings and comparatively slow wingbeat, Harriers tend to appear much larger than they actually are, while Goshawk and Peregrine are much more compact.