Sparrowhawk Help

bodshi · #1 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 11:24 AM

I've only ever seen male Sparrowhawks and this has made me wonder - do I know the difference between male and famale? I always thought females were brown, but neither of the guides I have make it very clear - just say that females are much larger. Can anyone enlighten me?

The reason I ask is because we have a Sparrowhawk that visits the garden and I was sure he is a male - quite small, grey back, lovely barred breast with a bit of a rosey blush. Today he was in the tree again - maybe it was just the angle he was sitting at or maybe because he was much higher up than usual - but he looked much larger. Still looked grey though, with the same blushed barred front. If possible looked even fiercer than usual though!

On a previous occasion I've seen him flushed out of the tree by a pair of magpies but this time, although a magpie came and sat in the tree and chattered at him, he seemed totally unconcerned and carried on preening.

Am I wrong to assume this is a male because it looks grey? My books keep comparing them to Goshawks but that's no good to me because I don't know what a Goshawk looks like either!

ron1863 · #2 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 12:05 PM

The Sparrowhawk has pale barred underparts, like the Goshawk, but is less heavily built.

The wings are short, broad and blunt and the tail is quite long and has dark barring across it. Their yellow legs are surprisingly spindly. The eye and cere are also both yellow, but they can become orange-yellow or even orange-red in older birds. The hooked bill is grey.

The female (or falcon) has grey-brown upper parts and is much bigger than the male (or tercel), which is a little bigger than a Mistle Thrush but smaller than a Kestrel. The barring on the whitish underparts is brown.

The male has grey-blue upper parts and the barring on the whitish underparts is orange-brown. The cheeks are orange-brown too.

Juveniles have dark brown upper parts and coarsely barred below.

In flight, they tend to soar between powerful bursts of several wing beats: flap-flap-glide. They never hover and are remarkably agile even at speed.

Hope this helps.

aeshna5 · #3 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 02:08 PM

Ron a female Sparrowhawk is not known as a falcon. Falcons + hawks are in 2 totally different families. Also I would say a female Sparrowhawk is a bulkier bird than a Kestrel + is able to take a bird as large as a Wood Pigeon!

bodshi · #4 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 04:41 PM

Thanks. It's difficult to gauge size - I think I'd need to see the two sexes sitting side by side. I'd say the Sparrowhawk I usually see in the tree is about the same size as a kestrel but today it looked bigger, a little bit bigger and bulkier in the body than the magpie, but obviously much shorter tail. Maybe a good thing to look for would be the cheeks then. Thanks for your help. Awkward thing hasn't shown itself since!

bodshi · #5 (**permalink**) 14-03-2009, 04:50 PM

Bloomin' heck - just glanced out of the window again and it's sitting there!
It's facing me so can't see whether the back is grey or browny-grey and the cheeks, which I thought would be such a help, could either be brown or orange. Now, if a Kestrel would just come and sit next to it so I can compare sizes ...

jaykay · #6 (**permalink**) 15-03-2009, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodshi

Bloomin' heck - just glanced out of the window again and it's sitting there!
It's facing me so can't see whether the back is grey or browny-grey and the cheeks, which I thought would be such a help, could either be brown or orange. Now, if a Kestrel would just come and sit next to it so I can compare sizes ...

Good luck with that bodshi

larachmor · #7 (**permalink**) 15-03-2009, 12:11 PM

Examples of male and female sparrowhawks on my website ..
Strathspey Wildlife

Jennie · #8 (**permalink**) 15-03-2009, 02:20 PM

I was lucky to photograph a female sparrowhawk last week - the photo is in the "Bird of the day" thread. Not exceptionally clear as taken through glass, but it will give you some idea of the bird!

Spyroviper · #9 (**permalink**) 16-03-2009, 03:15 PM

Very lucky to see him so often in your garden. No birds such as sparrow hawks, kestrels etc live anywhere near me

bodshi · #10 (**permalink**) 17-03-2009, 08:06 AM

Sorry, have been having a bit of trouble with the internet connection at home. Looking at those pictures (thanks very much) I can see the difference quite clearly between male and female and now I'm certain I've only seen a male. So now I've got a new ambition - to see a female! Thanks for all your nice comments.