Northern sparrowhawk, Sparrowhawk
The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Though it is a predator which specializes in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withVi
Vicious AnimalsThe Eurasian sparrowhawk has short, broad wings and a long tail, both adaptations to maneuvering through trees. Females can be up to 25% larger than males and weigh up to twice as much. The adult male has slate-grey upperparts (sometimes tending to bluish), with finely red-barred underparts, which can look plain orange from a distance; his irides are orange-yellow or orange-red. The female has dark brown or greyish-brown upperparts, brown-barred underparts, and bright yellow to orange irides. The juvenile is warm brown above, with rusty fringes to the upperparts; and coarsely barred or spotted brown below, with pale yellow eyes; its throat has dark streaks and lacks a mesial (midline) stripe. The Eurasian sparrowhawk's small bill is used for plucking feathers and pulling prey apart, rather than killing or cutting. Its long legs and toes are an adaptation for catching and eating birds. The outer toe is "fairly long and slender"; the inner toe and back toe are relatively short and thick. The middle toe is very long and can be used to grasp objects, while a protuberance on the underside of the toe means that the digit can be closed without leaving a gap, which helps with gripping.
Eurasian sparrowhawks are widespread throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Birds from colder regions of northern Europe and Asia migrate south for the winter, some to North Africa (some as far as equatorial east Africa) and India; members of the southern populations are resident or disperse. Eurasian sparrowhawks can be found in most woodland types in their range, and also in more open country with scattered trees. They can also be seen in gardens and in urban areas and will even breed in city parks if they have a certain density of tall trees.
Eurasian sparrowhawks live singly or in pairs. They are active during the day spending most of their time hunting. These birds hunt by surprise attack, using hedges, tree belts, copses, orchards, and other covers near woodland areas. They wait, hidden, for woodland birds to come near, then break cover and fly out fast and low. A chase may follow, with the hawk even flipping upside-down to grab the victim from below or following it on foot through vegetation. It can "stoop" onto prey from a great height. During hunting, Eurasian sparrowhawks can fly 2-3 km (1.2-1.9 mi) per day. They rise above tree level mostly to display, soar above territory, and make longer journeys. The flight of these birds is a characteristic "flap-flap-glide", with the glide creating an undulating pattern.
Eurasian sparrowhawks are carnivores that mainly prey on smaller woodland birds. Males tend to take tits, finches, sparrows, and buntings while females often take thrushes and starlings but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more. They also hunt rodents, small mammals, and insects.
Eurasian sparrowhawks are monogamous and form pairs. Most birds stay on the same territory for one breeding season, though others may keep the same one for up to eight years. Eurasian sparrowhawks locate their nests in the fork of a tree, often near the trunk and where two or three branches begin, on a horizontal branch in the lower canopy, or near the top of a tall shrub. If available, conifers are preferred. A new nest is built every year, generally close to the nest of the previous year, and the male does most of the work. The structure, made of loose twigs up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) long, has an average diameter of 60 cm (24 in). When the eggs are laid, a lining of fine twigs or bark chippings is added. The female usually lays a clutch of 4 or 5 pale blue with brown spots eggs. The altricial, downy chicks hatch after 33 days of incubation. After hatching, the female cares for and feeds the chicks for the first 8-14 days of life, and also during bad weather after that. By 24-28 days after hatching, the young birds start to perch on branches near the nest and take their first flight. They are fed by their parents for a further 28-30 days, staying close to the nest while growing and practicing flying. At this stage, they are extremely vocal, and their cries to their parents can often be heard a considerable distance away. The young hawks disperse after their parents stop providing them with food. Reproductive maturity is reached between 1 and 3 years of age.
Eurasian sparrowhawks are not considered endangered at present. However, this species has suffered high persecution by hunters and falconers. The Eurasian sparrowhawk's hunting behavior has brought it into conflict with humans for hundreds of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations. Falconers have used Eurasian sparrowhawks since at least the 16th century; although these birds have a reputation for being difficult to train, they are also praised for their courage. Eurasian sparrowhawks also suffer from habitat loss and declines in prey availability.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Eurasian sparrowhawk is 2,000,000 to 3,200,000 mature individuals. The European population consists of 364,000-571,000 pairs, which equates to 728,000-1,150,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Eurasian sparrowhawks feed on a wide range of small birds and mammals and thus help control the populations of their prey species. During one year, a pair of Eurasian sparrowhawks could take 2,200 house sparrows, 600 common blackbirds, or 110 wood pigeons.