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==Behaviour== | ==Behaviour== | ||
====Flight==== | ====Flight==== | ||
| − | The flight is a characteristic "flap – flap – glide" | + | The flight is a characteristic "flap – flap – glide". |
====Breeding==== | ====Breeding==== | ||
This species nests in trees, building a new nest each year. It hunts birds in woodland or cultivated areas, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch or hedge-hops to catch its prey unaware. | This species nests in trees, building a new nest each year. It hunts birds in woodland or cultivated areas, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch or hedge-hops to catch its prey unaware. | ||
Revision as of 17:10, 30 March 2009
- Accipiter nisus
Identification
Male
- 29-34 cm long with a 59-64 cm wingspan
- Slate-grey upperparts
- Barred reddish underparts
Female
- 35-41 cm length and a 67-80 cm wingspan
- Barred grey underparts
Juvenile brown above and barred brown below
All have a white supercillium, more noticeable in the adults
Similar Species
The female can be confused with the Northern Goshawk, which is a similar size, but has more 'bulk'
Distribution
The most numerous and widespread Accipiter found almost throughout the region except for Iceland and the far north of Scandinavia and Russia. In the south breeds on the western Canary Islands, across North-West Africa and on Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. Also breeds throughout Greece and Turkey (except much of the central plateau) and east to the Caspian. In the Middle East may breed regularly in Israel but rare.
Northern birds are migratory but over most of Europe this is a rather sedentary species. Winter visitor or passage migrant to much of Turkey; the Middle East and North Africa. Small numbers occur on passage at Gibraltar and the Bosphorus but much larger movements can be seen at Falsterbo. Peak periods here are mid August-mid November and April-early May.
Taxonomy
Subspecies: In mainland Europe the nominate race is present but in Madeira and on Gomera, El Hierro, La Palma and Tenerife in the Canary Islands there is the smaller and darker race granti, on Corsica and Sardinia there is another small and very dark race wolterstorffi, and the large, pale race punicus occurs in North-West Africa from central Morocco to north Tunisia. The large Siberian race nisosimilis may occur in the south-east of the region in winter or as a vagrant to Europe but identification is difficult.
Habitat
Deciduous, mixed or coniferous woodland with adjacent open country. In recent years with decreased persecution has become commoner close to human habitation and is now moving into towns. In winter often found far from woodland, hunting along hedgerows in open farmland or in coastal areas.
Behaviour
Flight
The flight is a characteristic "flap – flap – glide".
Breeding
This species nests in trees, building a new nest each year. It hunts birds in woodland or cultivated areas, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch or hedge-hops to catch its prey unaware.
Young female sparrowhawks disperse about twice as far from the nest as the male sparrowhawks; this is possibly an adaptation to avoid inbreeding[1].
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Accipiter nisus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Paper in DOFT read December 2008
- Animal Pictures Archive
External Links
