Henst's goshawk (Accipiter henstii) is a species a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is a large, diurnal bird endemic to the island of Madagascar. It is an obligate forest species that occurs at very low densities on the island and is rarely seen. It can only occupy the primary and secondary forests found within the island. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss within Madagascar. Description The Henst's goshawk is a large forest raptor with a body length of . The wingspan is between . There is a notable size discrepancy between males and females, with males weighing on average and the larger females weighing on average. It is one of the world's largest Accipiters, rivaling the northern goshawk and Meyer's goshawk. The body is mostly covered in a dark brownish-grey plumage that is quite indistinct while the underparts are lighter in colouration and have a barred pattern. Juvenile colouration will vary and can be distinguished by having large brown spots on the breast and belly. A strong distinguishing feature is a pale eye line on the contrasting dark head. The eyes and long legs of the species are yellow in colour. In flight, the Henst's goshawk will have its rounded wings and long, barred tail on display. Moreover, the pale coloured rump may be used to aid in identification of a flying individual. Mimic Henst's goshawk may be easily confused with an apparent mimic species also present in Madagascar, the Madagascar serpent eagle (Eutriorchis astur). These species may be distinguished using a few key features. The first being size: Henst's goshawk is a much larger bird. The barred pattern present on the breast of Henst's goshawk is also more distinct than that of the Madagascar serpent eagle, which will have a more muted pattern with lighter colouration. Taxonomy Henst's goshawk is a species within the genus Accipiter. This diverse group of birds mostly consists of goshawks and sparrowhaks. This group is morphologically distinct in that they lack a procoracoid foramen (a hole at the base of procoracoid bone). This genus is within the family Accipitridae and order Accipitriformes which together make up the majority of the diurnal birds of prey. The species was first described by Hermann Shlegel, a German ornithologist (who had a