The Grey Goshawk is a medium-sized raptor (bird of prey), with two colour morphs (forms). The grey morph has a grey head and upperparts, with white underparts barred grey on the chest. The rounded wings are grey above, white below, and have darker wingtips. The medium length tail is grey above and white below, barred grey. The white morph is pure white all over and is often known as the White Goshawk. Both morphs have a dark red eye and yellow legs and feet. However, this species is so variable in colour and size that it can be known as the Variable Goshawk.
Not Threatened.
The Grey Goshawk is a medium-sized raptor (bird of prey), with two colour morphs (forms). The grey morph has a grey head and upperparts, with white underparts barred grey on the chest. The rounded wings are grey above, white below, and have darker wingtips. The medium length tail is grey above and white below, barred grey. The white morph is pure white all over and is often known as the White Goshawk. Both morphs have a dark red eye and yellow legs and feet. However, this species is so variable in colour and size that it can be known as the Variable Goshawk.
38-55 cm, 585 g
Taxonomy:
- Falco novae Hollandiae Gmelin, 1788, New South Wales. Island races sometimes regarded as a distinct species, A. hiogaster, separate from Australian novaehollandiae. Moluccan griseogularis, obiensis and mortyi sometimes treated as a separate species, A. griseogularis. Race natalis of A. fasciatus may belong to present species. Polytypic; Australian and New Guinea mainland populations also polymorphic. Twenty three subspecies normally recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * sylvestris Wallace, 1864 - Lesser Sundas. * polionotus (Salvadori, 1890) - Banda I (Moluccas), Tanimbar Is. * albiventris (Salvadori, 1875) - Tayandu I (Moluccas), Kai Is. * obiensis (Hartert, 1903) - Obi (C Moluccas). * griseogularis (G. R. Gray, 1860) - N Moluccas. * mortyi Hartert, 1925 - Morotai (N Moluccas). * hiogaster (S. Müller, 1841) - S Moluccas. * pallidiceps (Salvadori, 1879) - Buru (S Moluccas). * leucosomus (Sharpe, 1874) - New Guinea. * pallidimas Mayr, 1940 - D'Entrecasteaux Is (New Guinea). * manusi Mayr, 1945 - Admiralty Is. * bougainvillei (Rothschild & Hartert, 1905) - Bougainville (N Solomons). * rufoschistaceus (Rothschild & Hartert, 1902) - Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Florida Is (C Solomon Is). * rubianae (Rothschild & Hartert, 1905) - C Solomon Is. * pulchellus (Ramsay, 1881) - Guadalcanal (SW Solomon Is). * malaitae Mayr, 1931 - Malaita (SE Solomon Is). * misulae Mayr, 1940 - Louisiade Is (New Guinea). * misoriensis (Salvadori, 1875) - Biak I. * dampieri (Gurney, 1882) - New Britain. * lavongai Mayr, 1945 - New Hanover and New Ireland (Bismarck Archipelago). * lihirensis Stresemann, 1933 - Lihir and Tanga Is. * matthiae Mayr, 1945 - St Matthias I (Bismarck Archipelago). * novaehollandiae (Gmelin, 1788) - N & E Australia
It is found in most forest types, especially tall closed forests, including rainforests.
Grey Goshawks feed on birds, small mammals, reptiles and insects, capturing prey by striking with their long, powerful clawed toes. It pursues its prey in flight, striking at speed, and even chases prey into dense undergrowth. It will also use ambush and surprise to catch birds, included the introduced Common Starling. The larger females can take larger prey than males.
Grey Goshawks form permanent pairs that defend a home territory year round. Both sexes constructs a stick nest lined with leaves high in a tree fork, and often re-use the same nest. The grey and white colour morphs interbreed freely, and this species has (very rarely) interbred with Brown Goshawks. While the female does most of the incubation, the male relieves her when she needs to feed, and catches most of the food for the young, which the female tears up for them to eat. Breeding season: July to December in south; January to May in north Clutch size: Two to four, usually three Incubation: 35 days Time in nest: 35 days