# Sparrowhawk



## loughrigg

Some people might not like the idea of hawks hunting in their gardens, but I've always taken the view that it is all part of nature in action.

Since my wife increased the number of feeders in the garden about five years ago we have been visited regularly by sparrowhawks. More often than not, its a flypast to spook the finches etc. and a bit of acrobatics as it tries to pick off one of the scattering birds - quite often successful (at least from the sparrowhawk's point of view).

Several times, we've spotted a hawk just perched low down in the tree close to the feeders (in a suburban front garden and about twenty feet from the closest house). Surprisingly, the small birds do come back to feed and we've watched the hawk sit and wait until one gets a bit too close to resist. A hawk even had a go at a collared dove, knocking it off a feeder and managing to pin it down for about twenty seconds until it realised that the dove was just too big to handle.

This morning it tried the same trick. After some minutes without moving the hawk seemed to edge along the branch (I've never thought of a hawk creeping - but it did) concentrating on a shrub where some of the small birds had taken cover. Then it launched itself straight through the shrub and came out the other side with a green finch in its talons.

This seems now to be an established pattern of hunting. Has anyone else seen a sparrowhawk behavng this way?

Mike


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## Spacerunner

Saw one taking a ground feeding blackbird a couple of weeks ago. Thought that maybe a blackbird would have been a bit of a hand/talon-ful. But it was very cold and deep snow laying , the hawk might have been getting desperate.

Did see a sparrowhawk doing a flyover of a flock of chickens on a CL. Unbelievably the chickens scattered as if one and disappeared under the caravans and motorhomes, only to reappear a few seconds later when the hawk had gone.

Who says chickens are stupid?


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## EJB

They catch pigeons in my garden 8O


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## 96299

Make no mistake, a Sparrowhawk will take a dove with ease as it would a pigeon. They have also been know to take magpies too.

steve


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## loughrigg

Chigman said:


> Make no mistake, a Sparrowhawk will take a dove with ease as it would a pigeon. They have also been know to take magpies too.
> 
> steve


Maybe the dove had been working out.  For whatever reason the sparrowhawk tried to hold it down for twenty seconds or so then just seemed to give up and flew back into the tree. The dove flew off without any apparent damage.

Magpies have been extremely unusual sights in my area until this winter. Even then, it is the odd one and I might go a week without seeing another.

I'm not sure how many sparrowhawks drop by for a snack, but we did see evidence of three separate kills in our front garden over the space of a few hours one morning.

Mike


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## duxdeluxe

Yep, we have a sparrowhawk or two (probably one now as I found one dying in the road a couple of months back - beautiful bird) and you would not believe the number of feathers that explode off a pigeon when struck in mid air. An awesome sight; I never even saw the sparrowhawk coming, and neither did the wood pigeon - took it straight down on to the ground for an early breakfast


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## ardgour

Wednesday morning a sparrowhawk sat in the apple tree about 10 feet from my window. It looked at me for a while then went back to surveying the bird feeders. The small birds just hide in deep foliage in the bushes till it goes.
A few years back I had a goshawk take out a wood pigeon just a few feet in front of the window - there were feathers everywhere and a half eaten carcass. A couple of hours later the goshawk came back presumably to finish its tea but I had removed the carcass to the bin by then.
We don't live in the middle of countryside but on the edge of a town with high garden walls and houses all around.


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## dovtrams

This SH thinks our garden is a branch of a supermarket!

Dave


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## framptoncottrell

The female sparrowhawks are bigger and more aggressive - they will easily take a wood pigeon.
The males are small, feeble and pathetic.

I'm not going to type the next line, making anthropomorphic comparisons, because Mrs Roy will probably clout me........ :? :? 

Dr (musical, not medical) Roy


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## 96299

dovtrams said:


> This SH thinks our garden is a branch of a supermarket!
> 
> Dave


Nice picture dave. That prey bird looks very much like a Starling ?

steve


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## StAubyns

We've got one as well. A neighbour took these..


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## zappy61

*sparrow hawk*

How about this: We have about 8 wood pigeons and just two collared doves that come to the feeder and table, lots of blackbirds, robins, thrushes etc. On Wednesday a sparrow hawk swooped on the table and took a collared dove sending the rest of the birds off in a blind panic, a cock blackbird flew into the conservertory window and broke its neck! So two birds with one swoop! I accept its nature but why couldn't he have had a pigeon or starling? probably because the dove is much slower off the mark.

Graham


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## wosser

I have a employee who is also a falconer and many moons ago I flew a Sparrowhawk and often went out on trips with these guys, they were flying goshawks and redtail hawk back then. I have actaully seen female sparrowhawks take partridge, pheasent poults and moorhens they are fearless and pound for pound probably one of the most effective Birds of Prey.

Wosser


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## pippin

I wish I could train our local sparrowhawk(s) to catch the magpies - good riddance!

'Tis true, we don't seem to have as many of them (magpies) around as is usual.


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## shingi

loughrigg said:


> Some people might not like the idea of hawks hunting in their gardens, but I've always taken the view that it is all part of nature in action.
> 
> Since my wife increased the number of feeders in the garden about five years ago we have been visited regularly by sparrowhawks. More often than not, its a flypast to spook the finches etc. and a bit of acrobatics as it tries to pick off one of the scattering birds - quite often successful (at least from the sparrowhawk's point of view).
> 
> Several times, we've spotted a hawk just perched low down in the tree close to the feeders (in a suburban front garden and about twenty feet from the closest house). Surprisingly, the small birds do come back to feed and we've watched the hawk sit and wait until one gets a bit too close to resist. A hawk even had a go at a collared dove, knocking it off a feeder and managing to pin it down for about twenty seconds until it realised that the dove was just too big to handle.
> 
> This morning it tried the same trick. After some minutes without moving the hawk seemed to edge along the branch (I've never thought of a hawk creeping - but it did) concentrating on a shrub where some of the small birds had taken cover. Then it launched itself straight through the shrub and came out the other side with a green finch in its talons.
> 
> This seems now to be an established pattern of hunting. Has anyone else seen a sparrowhawk behavng this way?
> 
> Mike


Don't ever think a sparrowhawk can't take a dove. For many years we had a dovecote with lots of resident, very well fed white doves. Then one day after years of peace and tranquility the sparrowhawk arrrived and started to use our dovecote as a lunch stop. I've saved many a dove from death by running out and screaming like a banshee but equally have arrived too late. Because the dove is a little large for them the kill is not immediate and the dove invariably gets eaten alive. My poor hubby had to get used to finishing off those that were left still breathing some of them with their chests half gone and their little necks half eaten. In the end it was so distressing that we closed up the cote. I don't blame the sparrowhawk as it is just nature but I could no longer be a party to the slaughter of my doves.
He would come into our garden at such a speed even though the doves were on constant lookout. We live under the flight path to Luton Airport and sometimes a planes shadow coming over would spook them all. They all got quite neurotic. This was a few years ago but I notice now that when he does appear he sits around on the hedges. I think our resident Kites and Buzzards have put him off a bit and, despite the enormous amount of garden birds we have (due to the enormous amounts of food I supply them with)! he doesn't make a 10th of the appearance he used to....thank goodness.


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## higgy2

Here is our Sparrowhawk, a regular caller with a high
success rate but this was a failure


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## scouter

Here's a piccy of our regular visitor. He's sitting on the gate between the drive and the back garden, right outside the kitchen window from where i took this piccy. he waited patiently whilst I went and got the camera from upstairs and then posed about whilst I took a dozen or so shots thro the kitchen window.

He seems to arrive and sit about hoping that everybody will forget about him. However on a couple of occasions he's passed very close to me whilst i was working in the garden and followed the sparrows into the hedge or bushes. We do seem to have alot of sparrrows despite his attempts.


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## 96299

Take note of the extra long talon that the Sparrowhawk has on the most forward facing toe. It's use is for giving the bird just that extra bit of hooking ability in such instances as when a small bird has taken to a hedge for refuge and the hawk then can maybe just winkle it back out with the extra length it has on it's toes, amazing stuff. 8O 

steve


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## duxdeluxe

Chigman said:


> Take note of the extra long talon that the Sparrowhawk has on the most forward facing toe. It's use is for giving the bird just that extra bit of hooking ability in such instances as when a small bird has taken to a hedge for refuge and the hawk then can maybe just winkle it back out with the extra length it has on it's toes, amazing stuff. 8O
> 
> steve


Never knew that - thanks.


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## Groper

Sparrowhawks do not always kill smaller prey immediately either. 
A little while ago I heard terrible squealing noises in the garden and found a sparrowhawk plucking a starling which was desperately trying to defend itself.On being disturbed the sparrowhawk flew off still clutching the unfortunate starling.


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## Empgamer

Not sure I'd say the male was small and pathetic personally. Smaller yes but gives the pair a wider spectrum of coverage of quarry species. Larger female - larger (mostly) and less agile prey. Smaller male - smaller and more agile prey. There will always be exceptions and females will sometimes take smaller prey and males larger. During incubation the male will be pretty much the sole provider and is a prolific hunter.

Larger talons are on rear and front inside. Vice like grip (for bird of its size) drives the talons in to more effectively grip/kill prey. Often they will break the neck with their beak if also needed.


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## goshawk

sparrow hawks are still widely used as a falconry hawk and can tackle prey a lot bigger and aggressive than its self.ie:crows, magpies,pigeons not bad for a bird that would fly between 8-10oz [female] like somebody already pointed out the males are smaller and refereed to as muskets.


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## Jented

Hi.
I try to discourage birds of prey from eating birds that i am trying to help survive the winter,but it is like trying to knit fog,as you say it is natures way,this discouragement is also extended to cats,even our own,when we had them.
Most of the birds of prey are very beautiful,and their eyes seem to look straight into your soul,on one TV program they showed how a hawk carried a crab/tortoise type creature flew up high and dropped it onto rocks below and as it was falling,stooped? down alongside it watching it. It was a sight i will never forget,also two Batueler?? eagles hooking talons in flight and spinning down to earth,it was thought to be their version of playing chicken,as some crashed to earth never letting go. I do hope some one else saw this,as it does seem a tall story .
My wish is,that the garden birds survive,but the hawks don't go hungry.
Ted


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