American Goshawk
American Goshawk has held roughly steady: up 9% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the American Goshawk
The American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 405 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 25 states, most concentrated in the Northern Rockies.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable American Goshawk TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for American Goshawk. See the full index history below.
American Goshawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, American Goshawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±63.1%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the American Goshawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording American Goshawk, sized by most recent count.
American Goshawk Population Trend by State
American Goshawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
American Goshawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 9% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.