Eurasian sparrowhawk
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is a prevalent bird of prey found across Europe and Asia, noted for its agility and hunting prowess, particularly targeting small birds such as sparrows and starlings. Typically measuring between 1 to 1.5 feet long with a wingspan close to two feet, this raptor showcases sexual dimorphism; females are significantly larger and heavier than males. The male exhibits dark gray plumage on top, complemented by reddish-brown underparts, while females sport a grayish-brown coloration with bars on their undersides. The hunting strategy of the Eurasian sparrowhawk involves stealthily perching and then swiftly ambushing prey, utilizing its sharp talons to catch and immobilize smaller birds.
During the spring mating season, males establish and defend their territories while attracting females through elaborate courtship flights. Nests are typically built by females in evergreen trees, where they incubate brown-speckled, bluish-white eggs. The chicks stay in the nest for about a month before fledging, but face high mortality rates in their first year due to predation and other dangers. Historically, the species faced significant threats from pesticides in the 1960s, leading to declines in certain populations. Thankfully, with the banning of harmful chemicals, the Eurasian sparrowhawk has seen a resurgence in numbers, highlighting the importance of environmental protections.
Subject Terms
Eurasian sparrowhawk
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is one of the most common raptors, or birds of prey, in Europe. It is a swift and skillful hunter of small birds in its woodland habitats.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Accipiter
Species: Nisus
The Eurasian sparrowhawk inhabits the forests and open country all across Europe and Asia. Its body is 1 to 1 1/2 feet (30 to 45 centimeters) long, and its wingspan is nearly two feet (60 centimeters). The female is heavier than the male and weighs 6 to 12 ounces (170 to 340 grams), while the male weigh only three to seven ounces (85 to 200 grams). The male's plumage, or feathering, is dark gray on its upper parts and reddish brown on the lower parts. The plumage of the female is grayish brown and has brown and white bars on the underparts. Both have short, hooked, sharp beaks and long, deadly talons.
Small birds, such as sparrows, starlings, chaffinches, and thrushes, are the main prey of these hunters. From a perch hidden in a tree or bush, the sparrowhawk quickly flies and surprises the prey and sinks its long talons into the smaller bird. The sparrowhawk may also fly low over the ground to seize prey or to duck quickly under cover. A female may force larger prey to land, while a male usually catches his prey in the air. Before eating its prey a sparrowhawk plucks the feathers from the bird's body.
Mating season arrives with the coming of spring and continues into early summer. At the beginning of this time, the male Eurasian sparrowhawk claims his territory and defends it from other males. He also begins attracting a mate at the same time. The male performs courtship flights over the trees and waits for a female to enter his territory. This is the only time during the year when the sparrowhawk lives with another bird. While the male brings twigs for nest material, the female builds the nest on a branch near the trunk of an evergreen tree. The female incubates her eggs for five weeks until the young hatch from their brown-speckled, bluish-white shells. The four to six young remain in the nest for one month until they fledge, or are ready to try their new wings. By the end of the second month the young are able to leave the nest and live on their own. Nearly 70 percent of male chicks may die within the first year due to predators or being killed by females which mistake them for other prey. Two years of growth prepares those chicks to be able to mate. They may mate every year for as long as they live, which may be up to 12 years.
One threat to this bird in the 1960s was that of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment. These chemicals were supposed to kill small animals which were pests to farmers. Unfortunately, the Eurasian sparrowhawk ate some of the birds which were poisoned by the pesticides. The poison then began killing the sparrowhawk also, and it became extinct in parts of the continent. In more recent years pesticides have been banned or controlled, and the Eurasian sparrowhawk population has increased.