Sparrow Hawk

sparrow hawk

Small hawk (usually genus Accipiter, family Accipitridae), found in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Sparrow hawks are gray above, barred-white below, and sometimes have white tail bars. They eat insects and small birds and mammals. The American kestrel is also called sparrow hawk.

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Sparrow Hawk 

(Accipiter nisus,) a predacious bird of the family Accipitridae. The females are larger than the males. The sparrow hawk ranges in length from 31 to 41 cm and in weight from 150 to 275 g. The plumage above is grayish brown in the male and brown in the female. The underside is mottled. The sparrow hawk is found in Europe, in Asia (from the forested tundra to the Himalayas), and in the mountains of northwestern Africa. It migrates south from northern regions in the winter. The bird constructs its nest in trees. A clutch contains four or five spotted eggs, which the female incubates for 31 to 33 days. The male feeds the female during this period. Sparrow hawks eat smaller birds and rodents. In Transcaucasia and Middle Asia, the females are used in falconry.