Date: 9/14/25 7:06 pm From: Gubanyi,Joe via groups.io <Joe.Gubanyi...> Subject: [NEBirds] juvenile goshawk seen in Seward
This morning my son, Marc, and I observed a juvenile American goshawk on the ground in a Seward neighborhood (https://ebird.org/checklist/S273480275). I posted it on eBird but am not sure it will be accepted. We spent a bit of time studying it and fortunately Marc got photos which are posted on eBird (I added three photos to the email). We based the ID on a number of things which I will itemize below. I would love to know what you think about the ID given the rarity of the sighting.
1. The bird was puzzling at first because of the bold barring in the tail which can be seen in the side view photo. The barring looked similar to the barring in a broad-winged hawk but other traits did not match a broad-winged hawk.
2. The side view photo shows the wings on the standing bird barely extended into the tail region which is typical of accipiters, but the bird was way too big to be a Cooper's or sharp-shinned hawk.
3. The barred tail, streaked underside, and body coloration are characteristic of a juvenile goshawk.
4. The feathering extending down the legs made me think it could be a rough-legged hawk, but other traits didn't match and I found photos of juvenile goshawks with feathering on the legs.
5. The behavior was consistent with a goshawk and not a Buteo. After watching it, it flew up into the middle of a densely foliaged tree about 20 ft away. We could not find it in the tree.
6. When the bird flew up into the tree, the rounded wings and long tail were noticeable.
