Northern Goshawk

Characteristics

A hawk of the same size as a crow or slightly smaller.

Adult birds have white feathers with gray horizontal stripes on the underside. The back is gray, and depending on how you look at it, it can appear bluish, which is what gave it its Japanese name, "Blue Hawk."

Young individuals are brown overall, with brown vertical stripes on the belly.

The head is brown around the eyes, like a mask, and the eyebrows are white. The iris is yellow, but when the nictitating membrane is closed, it becomes slightly redder. The base of the short, sharp, lead-colored beak is yellow. The legs are yellow and strong.

The tail feathers are distinctive when flying, and the center part appears to protrude slightly.

Ecology

They can be found on flat land, in forests, and on riverbeds.

They catch and eat small birds and small animals. They also nest in parks near urban areas.

Habitat

Tama River in September

I photographed it perched on a branch on the riverbed early in the morning at the end of summer. It was a brown individual, and was looking out from a branch where birds of prey often perch.

Tama River in December

I photographed an adult bird perched on a willow tree on a windy afternoon.

Its white belly stood out.

December, young bird

I saw a bird of prey enter a tree along the middle reaches of the Tama River. There was a young bird deep inside the branch. It was a common individual, but it didn't move much on this day. After watching for a while, it opened and closed its nictitating membrane.