Accipiter nisus - Sparrowhawk

The sparrow hawk, a resident in Britain, is a small, fast-moving member of the falcon family. It preys on small birds by skimming along the tops of hedgerows and suddenly dropping on a victim.

The male, at typically 30 cm long, is some 7 cm shorter than the female and has slate grey back and upper wing plumage (the female is more brown-grey). There is usually an almost white spot on the back of the neck.

Sparrow hawks are quite common birds of woodland and open country. They nest in trees or sometimes on cliff ledges. Typically five white eggs, blotched with red-brown, are laid in a twig nest.

Fact File

Length: 29 to 34 cm (male); 35 to 41cm (female)

Wingspan: 58 to 65cm (male); 67 to 80cm (female)

Nests: in a tree, typically 8 to 10m above the ground

Resident throughout most of southern and central Europe, including Britain and Ireland

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