Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBird Wikipedia

About the Eurasian Sparrowhawk

The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below. The female is up to 25% larger than the male – one of the greatest size differences between the sexes in any bird species. Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Accipiter nisus
Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
Order: Accipitriformes

Similar species

Other members of the hawks, eagles, and kites family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

Know when the Eurasian Sparrowhawk turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →