All About Sparrowhawks - Sparrowhawk Facts & Information

The Sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey that is widespread across the UK. 

Appearance & Behaviour

The Sparrowhawk is small in size, but large in stealth and ambushing skills. It’s a striking-looking bird, with piercing bright yellow eyes, broad wings and thin yellow legs with large talons. 

Unlike other species, the male is actually smaller than the female, with females being as much as 25% bigger! Males are blue grey on their upper body with orange streaks on their front and face. Females are darker all over, with streaked brown over her body. 

As agile hunters, they have buckets of stealth, making them experts at catching small species. The best time to spot a Sparrowhawk doing what they do best is the morning, where they are seen in woodlands or gardens looking for small bird prey.

Their call is a single piercing note, and their flying can be identified by their unique ‘flap flap guide’ technique. 

In the UK, Sparrowhawks are largely sedentary, meaning they don’t migrate, but some Sparrowhawks from Northern Europe do join them in the winter. 

Where do These Small Birds Live?

Across the UK, Sparrowhawks are found in a variety of habitats. From woodlands, where they breed in conifer and broadleaved woods to gardens with feeders, that provide the perfect space to catch small birds. 

Anywhere with hedges, trees and any other vegetation they can use to hunt is perfect, as they can perch and watch from a close distance. Open farmland is also a popular choice for these birds. 

The Sparrowhawk is widespread across most of the UK, it’s just missing from the Scottish Highlands and Shetlands. 

Hunting & Diet

Primarily, the diet of this bird of prey consists of small birds, like finches, tits and thrushes, and other members of the songbird population. As excellent bird hunters, they use their ambush tactics to catch the prey quickly, being larger, the female can tackle bigger birds, like the wood pigeon. 

Very rarely, they may have to eat mammals, but this is only when small birds are scarce. During the summer months, it is estimated that 40% of this bird's diet consists of young birds.

Breeding Season

The Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) breeding season in the UK is an intricate process, typically spanning from late March to early August.

In early spring, male Sparrowhawks begin courtship displays, which include aerial acrobatics such as high-speed dives and calling to attract females. The male may also offer prey as part of the courtship ritual.

The male establishes and defends a territory, which can be within dense woodland, parks, or even urban areas. Once a female shows interest, she may choose to mate with him based on territory quality and his displays.

The female Sparrowhawks select the nest site, typically in a tall, dense tree or within a wooded area. Sparrowhawks often use old nests of other birds, such as crows or magpies, but will also build their own.

The female birds lay a clutch of 3-5 eggs, usually between mid-April and early May. The eggs are a pale blue or white with reddish-brown speckles. The female does most of the incubation, which lasts around 30-35 days. The male provides food to the female during this time.

The chicks hatch in early to mid-June. Both parents are involved in feeding the chicks. The male brings prey - often small birds or mammals - back to the nest, while the female feeds the young.

At around 4-5 weeks old, the chicks fledge, meaning they leave the nest and begin to learn to fly. 

Threats & Predators

Larger birds of prey, such as Buzzards can pose a threat to a juvenile sparrow hawk, particularly during the early stages of fledging when they are less capable of defending themselves. These larger raptors may attempt to steal their nests or prey.

Crows, Magpies, and other Corvids are known to raid the nests of sparrowhawks. These birds may attack the young chicks, steal eggs, or disturb the nesting site. Magpies, in particular, are notorious for raiding nests of smaller birds.

In urban and rural areas, domestic cats and dogs may pose a threat, particularly to young or injured sparrowhawks.

Five Facts about Sparrowhawks

1. Sparrowhawks are incredibly fast flyers! They can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) while hunting, and their signature technique involves rapid, agile flight through dense woodland to surprise their prey.

2. These birds are masters of surprise. Sparrowhawks primarily hunt by ambushing their prey, often using their sharp vision to spot small birds from high perches before diving down at lightning speed.

3. There’s a noticeable size difference between male and female Sparrowhawks, with females being much larger than males. Females can be up to 25% larger, a trait known as sexual dimorphism, which is uncommon in most bird species.

4. While Sparrowhawks are typically forest dwellers, they've adapted surprisingly well to urban environments. In cities, they can hunt pigeons and other small birds, often nesting in parks and gardens.

5. Sparrowhawks have amazing eyesight, allowing them to spot prey from a long distance. They can see ultraviolet light, which helps them detect the urine trails left by small mammals, giving them an edge when hunting at dawn or dusk!