It's long-legged, with long narrow wings and a long tail. It soars with wing-tips held perceptibly above the horizontal, much like a turkey vulture, quartering open country in search of prey. They are streamlined and built for speed, flying in a direct path with deep rapid wingbeats. They do not usually soar, although the kestrel sometimes hovers with rapid wing strokes. In hunting, the peregrine and merlin often fly above smaller birds and then dive to the attack, striking prey while in full flight.
Adults are blue-gray above and white below, with light barring on the breast.
Immatures are brown above and creamy white below, with heavily streaked undersides. The largest of our accipiters, goshawks are seen in greatest numbers in winter, when food scarcities force many south. Goshawks breed in wooded areas and prefer wild territory, such as the mountainous areas of northern Pennsylvania. A pair often uses the same nest year after year. Identification of this species is often difficult, as large female sharp-shins are nearly the size of small male Cooper's hawks, which they closely resemble.