Or maybe the male could have been already dead
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Sparrowhawk eating Sparrowhawk (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter deborah4
- Start date
Or maybe the male could have been already dead
mikfoz
It's not a competition. Watch the birdy!
Whch would be termed scavenging...
razorsharp
For the Laugh
LOL I din't even have to write it.:t:
deborah4
Well-known member
And to follow Mikfov's example on another thread, I'll 'take this one by the scruff of the neck and try and get it back on topic'' with the original question since to date there doesn't seem to be any eyewitness accounts:
Anyone else actually seen a Sparrowhawk take a Sparrowhawk?
Anyone else actually seen a Sparrowhawk take a Sparrowhawk?
razorsharp
For the Laugh
Nope, never seen a Sparrowhawk take anything, saw a male catch a starling ages ago but the starling escaped!
saluki
Well-known member
Garden birders probably see most kills. I don't do any garden birding so, though I see a great many spars in the course of a year (I saw three on Sunday for instance) I rarely see them make a kill. The chances of anyone seeing a female spar take a male are probably pretty remote as it probably doesn't happen that often. I've seen spars take a black-tailed godwit (though it caught it over water and had to release it), a juv rabbit and a juv rat - all unusual prey items. Likewise, I seem to remember on BF someone saw a spar take a red grouse, whilst someone else witnessed one take a female pheasant - it's all about being in the right place at the right time. A tiny percentage of spar kills are ever witnessed by birders, or anyone else for that matter, so it's perhaps not so surprising that no-one has witnessed a sparrowhawk killing a sparrowhawk.
Cheers
Jonathan
mikfoz
It's not a competition. Watch the birdy!
I've seen one take a Redshank on the ground then get immediately bullied off it by a Crow. I've seen one take a Starling in midair. That's it. And I see Sparrowhawks pretty regularly.
Considering how much prey they must take that we don't see, it's small wonder such a rare event as them somehow coming to kill another Sparrowhawk hasn't been witnessed.
Considering how much prey they must take that we don't see, it's small wonder such a rare event as them somehow coming to kill another Sparrowhawk hasn't been witnessed.
Seen one take a Starling off the roost on Runcorn Bridge and about 3 months ago looked out of the kitchen window where i work and saw 1 pounce on a Collared Dove- it sat for ten minutes and ate its meal less than 20 ft away. Bit gruesome but a highly entertaining shift for myself. Never heard of Sprawk on Sprawk however.
cheers.
cheers.
martin kitching
Obsessed seawatcher
The sparrowhawks I study closely are lowland birds, with male and female both remaining in the breeding territory, where there is a vast food supply, during the winter. However, by considering Goshawk as a model, a possible scenario in which male would be directly predated by female can be proposed;
Male Goshawk are much more likely to remain in their breeding territory during the winter, even when prey is scarce, whereas females move out to areas where food is more plentiful. A female returning in the late-winter/early-spring may find that there isn't enough to eat...so, no prizes for guessing how that could end up.
If there is a similar difference in winter distribution of upland-breeding male and female sparrowhawks then it isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that exactly the same situation could arise.
cheers
martin
Male Goshawk are much more likely to remain in their breeding territory during the winter, even when prey is scarce, whereas females move out to areas where food is more plentiful. A female returning in the late-winter/early-spring may find that there isn't enough to eat...so, no prizes for guessing how that could end up.
If there is a similar difference in winter distribution of upland-breeding male and female sparrowhawks then it isn't beyond the bounds of possibility that exactly the same situation could arise.
cheers
martin
Sparrowhawk prey from BWP...
Larger bird species included many C. palumbus, Stock Dove C. oenas, Jay Garrulus glandarius, and Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, and also included Partridge Perdix perdix, ♀ Pheasant Phasianus colchicus, Red and Willow Grouse Lagopus lagopus, ♀ Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix, Kestrel Falco tinnunculus, and other A. nisus of both sexes (Tinbergen 1946; Uttendörfer 1952; I Newton and M Marquiss).
Also carrion/hooded crows are also sometimes taken...http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=135162&page=2
Larger bird species included many C. palumbus, Stock Dove C. oenas, Jay Garrulus glandarius, and Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, and also included Partridge Perdix perdix, ♀ Pheasant Phasianus colchicus, Red and Willow Grouse Lagopus lagopus, ♀ Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix, Kestrel Falco tinnunculus, and other A. nisus of both sexes (Tinbergen 1946; Uttendörfer 1952; I Newton and M Marquiss).
Also carrion/hooded crows are also sometimes taken...http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=135162&page=2
I have seen a female sprawk take a rabbit, only to be robbed by a buzzard. I have also seen 2 females take a carrion crow, magpie and smaller prey working together.
Sprawks are very adaptable and if you sit and observe for long periods you will be amazed at what you see.
One thing I have always noticed is that males stay away from females as soon as they start feeding them selves, but juv females stay with the female for 1 year.
Sprawks are very adaptable and if you sit and observe for long periods you will be amazed at what you see.
One thing I have always noticed is that males stay away from females as soon as they start feeding them selves, but juv females stay with the female for 1 year.
Interesting shot...nature at it's finest.
