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The Northern Goshawk, Punjab's state bird and locally called 'Baaj', returned to public attention as rival leaders in the state claimed sightings of the raptor during pre-election political discourse.
It is a large bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
It is distributed across Europe, Asia and parts of North America and favours dense coniferous and mixed woodland.
Punjab's other state symbols are the blackbuck (animal), the Indus River Dolphin (aquatic animal) and shisham (tree).
Punjab's state animal; its hunting is prohibited under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Punjab's state aquatic animal, a freshwater cetacean surviving in India only in a stretch of the Beas river.
The same family as India's eagles, kites and harriers; falcons sit in a separate family, Falconidae.
GS Paper 3 > Environment and Biodiversity > Species and conservation status
General Awareness > Static GK > State symbols of Indian states
A sit-and-wait predatory strategy in which a raptor scans from an elevated perch and makes short, low attack flights.
A species in which only some populations or individuals migrate seasonally, while others stay resident.
The large raptor family covering hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures.