The American Goshawk is a large, powerful forest hawk rarely encountered in Arizona, where it inhabits mature mixed-conifer and aspen forests of the higher mountain ranges in the northern and eastern parts of the state. Adults are striking, with slate-gray upperparts, pale finely barred underparts, and a bold white eyebrow over fierce red or orange eyes; juveniles are brown above with streaked underparts. Secretive and swift, they hunt birds and mammals—such as jays, grouse, squirrels, and rabbits—using surprise attacks through dense cover. In Arizona, they are uncommon year-round residents in suitable high-elevation habitat, most often seen in the San Francisco Peaks, White Mountains, and Mogollon Rim. Though generally stable, their numbers may fluctuate with prey availability and forest conditions, making them a prized but infrequent sighting for birders.
