- Accipiter princeps
Identification
38-45 cm, wingspan 75-86 cm.
- Slate-grey upperparts (darker on crown, wings and tail)
- White underparts with light grey wash or vermiculation
- Short rounded wings
- Short tail
- Stout legs with short toes
Sexes similar, females larger than males. Juveniles possibly similar to juveniles of Slaty-mantled Goshawk.
Similar species
Darker on head and with unbarred underwings compared to allopatric Grey-headed Goshawk.
Slaty-mantled Goshawk is smaller, darker headed, has less stout and redder legs and is more creamy buff on underparts. New Britain Sparrowhawk is also smaller, has more pointed wings, a shorter tail, a rufous collar and greyer underparts. Variable Goshawk has pale grey upperparts and pink below, Meyer's Goshawk is much larger, longer winged, black above and white below with some streaking or barring on underparts or all black.
Distribution
Endemic to the mountains of New Britain.
A poorly known, scarce species with only very few recent records. Most likely in decline caused by deforestation.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly considered conspecific with Grey-headed Goshawk.
Habitat
Recorded in hill and montane primary forest from 760 to 1425 m, occasionally lower or higher.
Behaviour
Diet
Probably feeds mainly on birds but also recorded to feed on insects.
Forages usually singly.
Breeding
No information available.
Movements
Probably a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) New Britain Goshawk. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/New_Britain_Goshawk
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
