Birds and wildlife

Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisusGroup: Kites, hawks and eaglesUK Conservation status:Amber

How to identify

Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey. They're adapted for hunting birds in confined spaces like dense woodland, so gardens are ideal hunting grounds for them. Adult male Sparrowhawks have a bluish-grey back and wings and orangey-brown stripes on their chest and belly. Females and young birds have brown back and wings, and brown stripes underneath. Sparrowhawks have bright yellow or orangey eyes, yellow legs and talons. Females are larger than males, as with all birds of prey.

Call

Sparrowhawk

Sophie Neill / xeno-canto

Key features to look out for

  • Males have a blue-grey back, and orangey-brown bars on their underparts 
  • Females and juveniles have a brown-grey back, and pale underparts with brown barring 
  • Females are much bigger than males 
  • Both have striking yellow eyes and long, thin yellow legs 
  • In flight, Sparrowhawks have a T-shaped silhouette, with a long square-ended tail and blunt wing tips 
  • They have a distinctive ‘flap-flap-glide’ flight pattern 
A lone Eurasian sparrowhawk sitting on a dry tree branch in spring.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
What’s that bird of prey

From tiny Merlins to enormous White-tailed Eagles, the UK’s birds of prey come in all shapes and sizes. These masterful predators are a real treat to see, but they’re often super-fast and many species look quite similar, which can make identifying them a challenge. In this guide, we share some simple ID tips to help you.

Where to see them

Sparrowhawks are widespread across almost all of the UK, with the exception of parts of Scotland. You could see them in mixed woodlands, farmland and gardens. 

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Where best to see them

Behaviour

Sparrowhawks are woodland birds that have adapted to urban green spaces. They’re fast and agile and hunt by surprise, using buildings and plants as cover before darting out at the last moment to catch small birds. They’re so quick, you might only be alerted to their presence by alarm calls and the sudden scattering of birds from your feeders.

Key facts