172 Birds of Colorado 
p. 229; Warren 09, p.14; 10,p.30. (Some of these records may more 
properly apply to A. a, strzatulus.) 
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; culmen 
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 yellow. 
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 New Mexico, 
The 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 killing. It rather prefers a well-wooded 
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 
