Although substantial research has been directed at understanding accipiter nesting-habitat relationships, little attention has been paid to pinyon–juniper (Pinus edulis or monophylla – Juniperus spp.) vegetation of the western United States. Previous surveys conducted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in northwestern Colorado suggested that accipiter nesting in these habitats might be more common than previously acknowledged, leading to a BLM-sponsored study of this phenomenon by HawkWatch International in the Piceance Basin of Colorado. Broadcast surveys and nest searches suggested that in 2007 there were a minimum of 0–2 Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), 13–29 Cooper’s Hawk (A. cooperii), and 3–6 Northern Goshawk (A. gentilis) nests active in the study area. Although we did not design our surveys to produce robust estimates of nesting density, spacing of active nests located between 2005 and 2007 suggested that all three accipiters probably occur at relatively low densities in pinyon-juniper habitat in the study area compared to estimates derived from studies in other regions and vegetation types. Vegetation surveys also suggested that Sharp-shinned Hawk (n = 3) nest sites contained smaller trees and a greater density of small trees compared to the other two accipiters. Cooper’s Hawk (n = 10) and Northern Goshawk (n = 10) nest and nest-site characteristics overlapped considerably. All of the surveyed accipiter nests that we found were on northwestern through eastern aspects and none was in pinyon–juniper patches less than 4.8 ha in size. Based on our results and other available records, we do not believe that accipiter nesting use of pinyon juniper vegetation is restricted to northwestern Colorado. Federal lands contain and estimated 65% of current pinyonjuniper vegetation, and we recommend that federal land managers consider the potential of these areas to support nesting accipiters during land management planning. We identified the BLM and U.S. Forest Service field and district offices with the greatest pinyon–juniper coverage, and provide some general recommendations for accipiter nest surveys in this vegetation type.