American Goshawk

“Astur atricapillus. American Goshawk. Blue Hen Hawk (adult). Chicken Hawk (young). Adult: Above, dark bluish-slate color, each feather black-shafted; top of head blackish, conspicuously different from other upper parts, the feathers there with fleecy white bases; a long white superciliary or rather post-ocular stripe; auriculars blackish. Ground color of under parts, including lining of wings, white, closely barred or vermiculated in narrow zigzag lines with slaty-brown, except on throat and crissum, and everywhere sharply pencilled with blackish shaft-lines, one on each feather. The barring is largest and most regular on the belly, flanks, and tibiae, but is for the most part much dissipated in a fine mottling. It varies greatly in coarseness in different specimens, some of which approach A. palumbarius in this respect. Tail like back, banded with four or five blackish bars, the terminal one much the broadest. Bill dark bluish; iris yellowish; feet yellow, claws black.” Elliot Coues, 1884

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