Family: Accipitridae, Hawks and Eagles view all from this family

Description 16-18" (41-46 cm). W. 3' (91 cm). A small compact hawk with a yellow cere; pale gray above with white underparts finely barred with gray, and bold white bands on tail. Immatures have streaked brown upperparts, pale underparts blotched with dark brown, narrowly banded tail.

Habitat Riverside woodlands of cottonwoods, willows, and sycamores.

Nesting Usually 2 whitish eggs in a small nest of sticks lined with fresh green sprigs placed in a tall tree.

Range Breeds in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Most migrate south in winter. Also in American tropics.

Voice   A clear whistle, who-fleeer.

Discussion Like many birds of prey living in deciduous woods, these hawks often line their nests with fresh leafy branches. These are plucked from the vicinity of the nest at first, but the male brings in fresh branches even after the nest is finished and incubation is underway. Gray Hawks feed mainly on lizards, dropping on them from a perch.