Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

The Sparrowhawk is a raptor well-adapted for hunting small birds in wooded areas. As such, it has rather short rounded wings and a long square-ended tail, both of which help it to manoeuvre through woodland in pursuit of its favoured prey. The plumage is grey or brown above and the underside has horizontal barring. Unlike the Kestrel, the Sparrowhawk does not hover but prefers instead to use the available cover as it comes dashing through the garden after small birds.

 

Sparrowhawks feed on other birds. This brought them into conflict with people rearing gamebirds, particularly where large numbers of pheasants were released into a wood, and Sparrowhawks were controlled. They were also hit by the effects of organochlorine pesticides. Since these were banned (and since legal protection has been better enforced in the countryside), the population has begun to recover (Courtesy BTO).

 

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