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Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Identify the Eurasian Sparrowhawk by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Eurasian Sparrowhawk is a small, agile hawk widespread across the temperate and subtropical Old World. A woodland specialist that readily ventures into towns and gardens, it hunts mainly small birds, slipping through cover with short, rapid wingbeats and sudden dashes. After pesticide-related declines in the mid-20th century, populations have recovered and it is now of least concern.

Did you know?

  • Females can be up to 25% larger than males – among the most extreme size differences between the sexes in any bird.
  • Studies of racing-pigeon losses found that Eurasian Sparrowhawks caused less than 1% of deaths.

Voice

Call

About the species

Identification

A small, agile hawk with short, rounded wings and a long, narrow tail; flies with quick wingbeats and short glides. The male is grey or blue-grey above and barred rufous below; the larger female is grey-brown above and densely barred below; juveniles have coarser markings. Told from Northern Goshawk by its much smaller size, slimmer build and lack of a bold pale eyebrow; unlike falcons, it has rounded wings and does not hover.

Family

Accipitridae

Size

Medium (thrush)

Colours

grey, white, orange, yellow

About the habitat

Woodland of many kinds, especially coniferous and mixed forest, as well as forest edges, hedgerows, parks and gardens in towns and cities.

Diet

Predominantly small to medium-sized birds taken by surprise. Males take smaller species such as tits, finches and sparrows, while the larger females often catch thrushes and starlings; occasionally small mammals and large insects.

Behaviour

A fast, stealthy ambush hunter that launches low attacks from cover and often targets birds at garden feeders; flight is flap-flap-glide with tight turns through trees. It often plucks prey at a regular perch. Northern populations migrate south for winter, while others are resident. It nests in trees, building a twig platform; the male brings food while the female incubates a clutch of usually 4–5 eggs.

Sources

Photo: Dion Art, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ястреб-перепелятник (Accipiter nisus, m), Измайловский парк.jpg

Sound: Pascal Christe, XC925125, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/925125

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_sparrowhawk

See also