NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
American Goshawk
Astur atricapillus (A. Wilson, 1812)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The American goshawk (Astur atricapillus) is a species of raptor in the family Accipitridae. It was first described by Alexander Wilson in 1812. The American goshawk was previously considered conspecific with the Eurasian goshawk but was assigned to a separate species in 2023 based on differences in morphology, vocalizations, and genetic divergence. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter. In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops at nearly any time of the fall depending on latitude.
Wikipedia contributors, American goshawk; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:24:21.443127+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Astur atricapillus (A. Wilson, 1812)
- Name authority
- (A. Wilson, 1812)
- Common name
- American Goshawk
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Astur
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderAccipitriformes
- familyAccipitridae Vigors, 1824
- genusAstur Lacépède, 1799
- speciesAstur atricapillus (A. Wilson, 1812)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Astur. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Meyer's GoshawkAstur meyerianus Sharpe, 1878 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eurasian GoshawkAstur gentilis (Linnaeus, 1758) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black SparrowhawkAstur melanoleucus (A. Smith, 1830) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Falco atricapillus A. Wilson, 1812 A. Wilson, 1812 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1253652 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:CTQ6J. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.