Fun Crested Goshawk Facts For Kids

The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) are Asian birds of prey belonging to the genus Accipiter. Interestingly, there are 11 subspecies of the crested goshawk. They are Taiwanese crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus formosae), Sri Lankan crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus layardi), Indo-Chinese crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus indicus), peninsular crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus peninsulae), Sumatran crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus trivirgatus), Nias Island crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus niasensis), Javan crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus javanicus), Borneo crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus microstictus), Polillo Island crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus castroi), Calamian Island crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus palawanus), and Southeast Philippines crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus extimus).

The bird also shows sexual dimorphism within their ranks with the females being bigger than the males. In spite of being abundant within their range, the crested goshawk has been speculated to have a declining population. This is due to the loss of habitat from deforestation in their native habitats.

Want to learn more about these birds? Scroll down and keep on reading. If you are interested in other species of birds, why don't you take a look at Arctic tern and swallow-tailed kite?

What type of animal is a crested goshawk?

The Asian crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus, Temminck 1824) is a tropical bird of prey that is found spread across the map of southeast Asia. They are closely related to other diurnal birds like buzzards, hawk species, and eagles. This bird of prey is quite similar in characteristics and flight patterns to other goshawks around the world, like the northern goshawk.

What class of animal does a crested goshawk belong to?

The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is a raptor that belongs to the class of Aves or birds. Due to the species being closely related with other diurnal raptors and birds of prey like buzzards, buteos, eagles, and hawk species, they are placed in the family Accipitridae, genus Accipiter and the order Accipitriformes. The old scientific name of this tropical bird was Falco trivirgatus.

How many crested goshawks are there in the world?

Despite the fact the the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is distributed widely on the southeast Asian map, details about their exact populations are not known. As a result of their vast habitat range, this species has been termed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, for these birds belonging to the Accipiter genus, habitat loss due to the clearing of forest areas is  a major cause of concern.

Where does a crested goshawk live?

The habitat and the distribution of these birds range widely across tropical evergreen and deciduous forest areas in southeast Asia. These tropical birds are residents of countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, and are also seen in a few Chinese provinces. Some of these Chinese provinces are Sichuan, Fujian, and Guangdong.

What is a crested goshawk's habitat?

The habitat of the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is primarily tropical forest areas. These raptors are found in both a tropical deciduous forest habitat and a tropical evergreen forest habitat, situated in the humid foothills and lowlands. The crested goshawk, while mainly found in warm tropical and subtropical habitat, has also been observed in cold areas like the Himalayas. However, their occurrence in these regions is pretty rare.  In urban areas like Singapore, they are visible and have adapted quite well to life in forested gardens. This bird of prey with its short crest has been observed within the elevation range of 5900-7900 ft (approx. 1800-2400 m) above sea level.

Who do crested goshawks live with?

The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is a species where the birds are solitary in nature. Of course, many times the adult birds are found in pairs. Interestingly, like any other raptor bird, the crested goshawk is very territorial. Many times, fights between crested goshawk birds have been reported over issues due to a breach in the territory.

How long does a crested goshawk live?

While we do not know details about how long the life of the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is in the wild, we do know that the generation length of the crested goshawk is around seven years. However, other birds in the goshawk family have life spans that are around 11 years. We can safely assume that this species also has a similar life span.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is thought to be around December and April to May, but this status varies between the different subspecies based on locations. Sometimes, like for the Taiwan crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus formosae), breeding seasons may start as late as January and continue to July. The male crested goshawk bird performs courtship rituals like dancing flights to impress crested goshawk females. After the mating process occurs, the females lay a litter of two eggs. The litter size of the crested goshawk is hardly ever less than or more than two. The incubation period of this bird is around 34-39 days. Once the crested goshawk eggs hatch, the juvenile bird remains with the parents for around the first 50 days. After this, the young birds develop flight feathers and soon leave the nest.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is defined by the International Union For Conservation Of Nature or the IUCN is Least Concern. However, this Least Concern status does not reveal the fact that the population of the crested goshawk is declining. This is due to a loss of habitat in areas where the crested goshawk is found in.

What do crested goshawks look like?

The identification and the primary description of the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) focuses on the crest and plumage. These birds have a short crest along with short wings and a large tail. The crown on their head is dark brown, with the female's head being browner. The sides of the head are gray and the breast and belly have rufous or slightly red streaks. The underparts of this bird are quite pale. Again, crested goshawk females can be distinguished by the lower amount of rufous in their breast feathers. The eyes of the crested goshawk either range from yellowish-red to orangish-yellow. There are black stripes on the throat. The tail is banded in dark and white colors. A young crested goshawk is similar to an adult with the major difference being that they have a blackish-brown head.

How cute are they?

Just by reading about the physical description of the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus), one may not find them to be very cute. However when they fly, these birds are majestic to look at.

How do they communicate?

Largely silent in the wild, there are times when you can hear the crested goshawk sound. They use these calls to communicate and scare off predators and other goshawks from their young ones and their nests. The primary crested goshawk call consists of a loud scream followed by deep-voiced croaks.

How big is a crested goshawk?

The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is a medium-sized bird. This bird has a length of 11.8-18 in (30-46 cm) with a wingspan length of 27-35 in (68-90 cm). Interestingly, the crested goshawk female size is larger than the typical male crested goshawk. In comparison, the harpy eagle is almost three times their size in length.

How fast can a crested goshawk fly?

While we do not know how fast a crested goshawk can fly, their family of birds is thought to be some of the fastest. The broad, short wings along with the long tail help them in fast movement within trees to hunt on prey.

How much does a crested goshawk weigh?

The weight of the crested goshawk averages between 0.77-1.2 lb (350-560 g). Females are larger than males.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Crested goshawk males and females are not known by any distinct names.

What would you call a baby crested goshawk?

A young crested goshawk can be referred to as a hatchling or a juvenile.

What do they eat?

Being birds of prey, the crested goshawk is a carnivore. This species feeds on large insects, lizards, frogs, small mammals like squirrels and civets, and birds like rock doves and chickens.

Are they poisonous?

No, of course not. The crested goshawk species have shown no sign of being poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

While these crested goshawks have a Least Concern conservation status, we would strongly advise against having these birds of prey as pets/ They are best left to their wild habitats.

Did you know...

The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is the only known bird to be attacked by the ischnoceran louse parasite. They are also hosts to the common amblyceran louse raptor parasite.

The crested goshawk has similarities with the Japanese sparrowhawk and is frequently confused with this Japanese bird.

What's the difference between male and female crested goshawks?

The female vs male crested goshawk difference is mainly in their size with the females being much larger. The plumage is also browner in the females.

What threats do crested goshawks face?

The only substantial threat that this bird of prey faces in the wild is from cutting down trees resulting in a loss of habitat.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our rhinoceros hornbill facts and griffon vulture facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable crested goshawk coloring pages.