The Eurasian sparrowhawk is the bird of prey most likely to visit gardens, but it is unobtrusive and can be difficult to spot. It can hunt birds in confined spaces and is known to prey on around 120 different species including thrushes, starlings, and even pigeons.
It is an agile bird that flies fast and low with few wing-beats to remain hidden from its prey for as long as possible. During breeding season, the male will perform deep, undulating flight displays accompanied by high-pitched cackling.
Breeding pairs: 35,000
Wintering birds: 100,000
Family: Hawks, Eagles, And Kites
The adult male sparrowhawk has blue-grey upperparts and white underparts striped with reddish-brown, with a greyer tone on the breast and belly. Its white flight feathers have prominent dark grey bars.
The head is blue-grey with reddish cheeks, while the chin and upper throat are white. It has a hooked grey bill with a black tip and a yellow cere. The orange eyes are set within a yellow eye-ring, and the legs and feet are also yellow.
The female sparrowhawk is larger than the male, with grey-brown upperparts and white underparts striped with grey. Unlike the male, she lacks the reddish colouring.
Juvenile sparrowhawks resemble females but have browner upperparts and wider stripes on their underparts compared to adults.
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The sparrowhawk breeds in April and May, producing one brood per season. It is monogamous during the breeding period but typically finds a new mate each year. The male attracts a partner through courtship displays that include deep, undulating flights, rapid head-first dives with closed wings, and high-pitched cackling calls. Both the male and female may also chase each other through wooded areas.
Sparrowhawks build their nests in woodlands, and coniferous and deciduous forests. Both sexes construct the nest, which is usually located in the fork of a tree near the trunk or on a horizontal branch. The nest is a platform made of loosely arranged sticks and twigs, lined with smaller twigs and bark chips.
The female lays 2 to 7 smooth, glossy eggs, which are white or cream with a bluish tint and dark brown markings. These are incubated solely by the female for 32 to 34 days. Once hatched, the chicks are fed by the female with prey supplied by the male. The young fledge after 26 to 30 days but continue to rely on their parents for food for an additional 25 days. Sparrowhawks reach sexual maturity at one year old.
The sparrowhawk primarily feeds on songbirds, with females targeting larger species such as pigeons, thrushes, and starlings, while males typically prey on smaller birds like tits, buntings, sparrows, and finches. They also hunt rodents, bats, young hares, rabbits, and other small mammals.
This bird employs various hunting techniques but usually relies on surprise. It hides in hedges, orchards, copses, and other wooded areas, waiting for prey to come close before breaking cover and flying fast and low to the ground. Sparrowhawks are also capable of diving (stooping) onto prey from a great height.
They are adaptable hunters and will pursue prey in gardens and urban areas.
Sparrowhawks can be seen all year round across the UK, except for some parts of the Scottish Highlands.
It breeds in woodland but will venture into gardens and more open country as well as towns and cities. Listen out for the alarm calls of smaller birds which can often indicate that a sparrowhawk is nearby.
The colour of a sparrowhawk’s eyes changes as it ages. Young birds have greenish eyes which turn more yellow as they get older eventually becoming orange or even red.
