Eurasian Sparrowhawk Identification
What I look like
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk is a raptor about the size of a falcon.
It has a slate-blue head with rust-colored cheeks, a hooked beak, and yellow eyes.
Its eyes are yellow.
Its beak is hooked and sharp, typical of raptors.
The toes of its feet extend into long, curved talons, the claws which it uses to grasp prey.
The upper body is slate-gray.
The underside is orange-brown with dark stripes.
The female is much larger.
The female's upper body is brown, the underside is more gray-brown, without the orange-brown hue and lacks the russet cheeks.
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk's wings are short and rounded and its tail is long and narrow marked with dark bands.
My songs, my calls
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk emits an alarm call through a chattering of rapid, high-pitched sounds "kiek kiek kiek" or "kyukyukyukyu".
The incubating female and juveniles call for food with longer calls "hiiiuuuh".
How I behave
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk hunts small birds by surprise.
It is recognized by its fast and low flight, alternating between wing flaps and long glides.
Its presence is indicated by the alarm calls of threatened birds.
How I reproduce
The breeding season of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk extends from April to August.
It produces one clutch per year of 4 to 6 off-white, pale yellow, or light blue eggs speckled with dark.
It nests in trees, preferably in conifers.
Its nest is a platform of branches, bark, and leaves.
What I eat
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk approaches its prey stealthily, hidden by hedges, trees... and strikes in a flash, capturing its prey with talons thrust forward.
The smaller male feeds on birds no larger than a thrush: tits, sparrows, buntings, linnets, goldfinches, thrushes...
The larger female preys on larger birds: thrushes, blackbirds, starlings, and also magpies and wood pigeons...
In the garden, bird feeders for small birds are its preferred hunting ground.
Its predation regulates common species: the sparrow, Great Tit, Greenfinch, and blackbird.
Where to find me
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk lives in deciduous and mixed woodlands...
and in cultivated regions with hedges and groves.
It is also found in the mountains and in parks and gardens of towns and villages.
It is a sedentary species and sometimes a short-distance migrant.