Bird / Accipiter nisus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

LC

Lowest risk

Migratory

The Eurasian sparrowhawk, also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below. The female is up to 25% larger than the male – one of the greatest size differences between the sexes in any bird species. Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.

Range mass
110 to 342 g
Range length
29 to 41 cm
Range wingspan
59 to 80 cm
Breeding interval
Eurasian sparrowhawks breed once yearly.
Breeding season
The breeding season occurs from mid-April through the end of August.
Average eggs per season
4 to 5
Range time to hatching
33 to 35 days
Range fledging age
24 to 30 days
Range time to independence
20 to 30 days
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
1 to 3 years
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
1 to 3 years
Range lifespan
Status: wild
20 (high) years
Average lifespan
Status: wild
3 years
Range territory size
35 (high) km^2

Stevens, M. 2011. "Accipiter nisus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 10, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Accipiter_nisus/

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