172 Birds of Colorado 



p. 229 ; Warren 09, p. 14 ; 10, p. 30. (Some of these records may more 

 properly apply to A. a. striatidus.) 



Description. — ^Male — Above dark slaty-blue, most of the feathers with 

 darker shaft-lines ; crown and ear-coverts almost black ; the eyebrow 

 and nape with white bases showing more or less plainly ; quills dusky ; 

 tail tipped with white and with traces, sometimes more, sometimes less 

 distinct, of the four dusky cross-bars of the young bird ; below, except 

 on the tail-coverts, mottled very finely with white and slaty-grey, 

 most of the feathers with dusky-black lines ; iris reddish-orange, bill 

 dark slate, feet yellow. Length 21-0 ; wing 13-25 ; tail 9-3 ; cuknen 

 1.1. ; tarsus 3-1. 



The female is larger ; wing 14.0. The young bird in the plumage 

 most frequently met with in Colorado, is very different. Above dark 

 brown, the feathers of the head, back and wing-coverts largely edged 

 with tawny and with white across the back of the neck forming an 

 indistinct collar ; tail with fine, distinct, darker cross-bands ; below 

 white with a faint tinge of tawny marked with long brown, drop-like 

 spots ; iris yello^v. 



Distribution. — Breeding in the northern part of North America from 

 the Yukon valley and Labrador, south perhaps to Idaho and northern 

 new England ; south in winter, casually as far as Virginia, Kansas 

 and Xew Mexico. 



Tha Goshawk is a rather uncommon winter bird in Colorado, ranging 

 from the plains up to about 9,000 feet. It is stated to breed in the 

 mountains between 9,000 and 10,000 feet by Cooke and other authors, 

 but I can find no evidence for this statement except that Carter found 

 it in summer at Breckenridge, and Drew states that it is a rare resident 

 in San Juan co. All other records are winter ones, viz.. Sugar Loaf Bill, 

 Boulder co., February (Henderson) ; Arkins, Larimer co., February 

 and March (Osburn) ; El Paso co., October and December (Aiken coll.) ; 

 Wet Mountains, up to 9,000 feet (Lowe) ; Mosca, January (Warren) ; 

 Montrose co., winter (Warren). 



Habits. — The Goshawk is very similar to the Cooper 

 and Sharp-shinned Hawks in its habits. It is blood- 

 thirsty and ferocious, and kills more than it needs, for 

 the sake of killmg. It rather prefers a well-w^ooded 

 country, and nests chiefly in the forests north of the 

 prairie country. It preys on poultry, the large game- 

 birds, rabbits and squirrels, and is said by Lowe to 

 attack the Dusky Grouse in Colorado. It breeds early 

 in the southern part of its range, laying from two to 



