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Latin name

Accipiter nisus

Family

Hawks, vultures and eagles (Accipitridae)

Overview

Adult males have a slate grey back and white underparts, closely barred with orange. Their grey tail has 4-5 dark bars. Females are larger, with brown upperparts, a white stripe over the eye and dark barring underneath. They look heavier than the males. Their broad, rounded wings and long tail are adapted for flying between trunks and branches enabling them to weave in and out of trees at high speed. They never hover like kestrels.

Where to see them

In the UK it is found everywhere where, except for parts of the Scottish Highlands, the Western Isles and Shetland. It is found in woodlands, along hedgerows and in parks and gardens. Usually seen flying fast and low in pursuit of prey, or soaring high on rounded wings.

When to see them

All year round.

What they eat

Small birds

Estimated numbers

* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.

Distribution

Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.

Find out more

• A top predator
• Breeding
• Hunting
• Identification
• Legal status
• Mortality
• Population trends and threats
• Videos

Audio is from commercial recordings Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Europe on 4 CDs or Bird Sounds of Europe & North-west Africa, copyright WildSounds & CEBA (www.wildsounds.com, (UK) +44 (0) 1263 741100)

4 illustrations 1234

Sparrowhawk - male

Sparrowhawk - female

Male

Female

Similar birds

Kestrel

Goshawk

Merlin