Things you need to know about SPARROWHAWKS!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you for watching this video and taking a look at the comments! If you would like to support me to make even more videos, please consider my Patreon which can be found here> www.patreon.com/ashotofwildlife Cheers.

[@allyxwaters5114]

Sparrow hawk caught a rat in my drive way,...and we managed to film it...amazing...and job well done...as natural as nature should be❤

[@mtb5778]

these video's are very educational. excellent. keep them coming.

[@clivemitchell4316]

Saw a female sparrowhawk take down a magpie a few years back. She saw me nearby, and stared at me with her piercing yellow eyes. I hardly moved, but she took off with her prey. Never forgot that encounter. Great info Liam 👍

[@zafod101]

I found one eating a pigeon in the garden he or she let me walk up to it so I could take some pictures it just froze then carried on eating when I backed off😊

[@nicedog1]

@@zafod101 She was probably expecting you to steal her meal.

[@si4632]

Taking down a magpie is impressive,

[@Latentheatfussion]

It lives in Africa, Nigeria, right?

[@zafod101]

​@@Latentheatfussionwe have them in the UK 😊

[@pasgas12safe58]

Great video on these lovely birds, thanks man. Love em!!👍

[@dawnrowlands2408]

I had a juvenile sparrowhawk on my rear fence last autumn. A few days later I saw him again and he took a sparrow off the rear fence and ate it in a tree just behind. I see him quite regularly and he hunts in the wooded area behind my garden. He's such a gorgeous bird and is fascinating to watch. Love your videos.

[@davecox6338]

FYI they are not gorgeous birds at all as they very quickly will reduce the British songbird population to virtually zero .soon all that will be left will be magpies , crows , hawka

[@oldgold1100]

Love these birds, they visit our garden frequently. Thank you for all that very interesting info on the Sparrowhawk.👍

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you, im glad you like the video.

[@paulsanderson8804]

Very good informative video lots of facts very interesting.

[@Calvin.The.Unfindable]

Superb Amazing birds. Some amazing info in this video Liam. Nice work.

[@animaladventurers]

Love this. We look after quite a few injured wild sparrowhawks at our sanctuary.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@ukwildlife]

Great video as always. Got to love a sparrowhawk

[@Owen-wx5ex]

Unless you're a pigeon

[@samfaulkner1068]

Superb info, I rescued one of these incredible birds a couple of years ago in my garden. Took it to the vets where they have a care of duty to look after them. I called the vet a week or so later and he said it was released back into the wild, it made my year to think I had a part in that. Love the vids keep them coming.

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

No doubt they sold it to a collector? You should have gone personally to see it being released.

[@si4632]

They euthanized it and put it in the incinerator

[@eamonmcdermott4032]

Thanks very much, mate. Always enjoy your videos. Interesting and informative.

[@criticalmass5402]

Interesting as always. We have a sparrowhawk that hunts in our rural garden surrounded by woodland. We have lots of bird feeders & if they're busy & then suddenly all the birds disappear en masse, you can be sure the sparrowhawk is in the area. I've seen it take an adult male blackbird & take it away, probably to feed chicks. It's horrible to see as the captured birds struggle. Also seen it flying fast after a sparrow that got away - happy not to be one of the 10%.

[@jokervienna6433]

I love these birds (I also love goshawks)! Masters of the air and tight corners. I have seen some go like "full speed" into a big bush and come out with their prey. I have also been lucky enough to see one adapt their stealth hunting, right up to our bird feeder. They fly like lightning. Luckily we have quite many here in Vienna, but as you state, they are hard to spot if they are not hunting or eating. Thank you for making me remember some good sightings!

[@davidmacdonald-bi1hy]

Great and informative video, We've got Sparrowhawks on the old railway line behind my garden.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you!

[@SkylarkFields]

An excellent video and super footage. Really interesting to hear all about them. We see them fly over our house but usually at a great height. Once, though, one flew in to our feeders and tried to grab a goldfinch just as I was videoing the goldfinches on the feeder, in slow motion. I was shocked and so surprised to get that little snippet of the hawk flying in, turning, and flying away again all in a split second. It went off empty taloned as the goldfinches were too smart for it!

[@SidBonkers51]

Always enjoy your videos, thanks.

[@bernardshieldstysonfive1009]

Hi Liam brilliant video again I love birds of prey I occasionally get a kestrel in my garden after the small birds keep up the great work and videos Bernard

[@EIixir]

An amazing bird to watch. Thanks for the introduction to them.

[@bobsteele9581]

Another fascinating video Liam. There's quite a decent population of Sparrowhawks around the area where I live, although I've only ever seen females. Even seen them a few times in my back garden, usually sitting in one of my trees looking out for prey. I even saw one swooping down and taking a starling once.

[@Angela-en6oh]

We had a sparrow hawk land in our garden with it’s prey recently. Watching it have “lunch” from our lounge was such a great treat and real pleasure. They truly are beautiful birds. My thanks for the wider information you have provided about them, which was most interesting.

[@martinconnelly1473]

My neighbour used to have a bird table in his garden. It was like a drive through for a sparrow hawk. It (or they) flew in from the other side, grabbed their meal and landed on my grass to feed. Even when I did not see the actual event there was often a small collection of feathers left as evidence of what had happened.

[@frippp66]

Unexpectedly i did see a sparrowhawk in central Brighton couple of years ago, on my way back from the shops. It was indeed snacking on another bird (maybe a pigeon) so that aspect was rather gruesome - but was still great to see such a magnificent bird.

[@Alan.92n]

Great vlog on sparrowhawks, Liam. Good information as always, on their prey and lifestyle.

[@PeterGaunt]

Thanks! I think I've seen sparrowhawks occasionally on the Parkland Walk in north London.

[@BrucieBonus]

Absolutely beautiful bird. Great video.

[@HelenaMikas]

An excellent video Liam .Superb photography and detail Many thanks , like and greetings..

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you Helena!

[@chrisstones1249]

Monday morning ,the rain is throwing itself to the ground ,just watched the video about sparrow hawks .wow .life is good .well done fella . amazing filming

[@missapippin9020]

Great video and informative thank you Liam.

[@alanjust]

Another cracking video Liam! Beautiful birds! Thanks for such excellent content.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you Alan!

[@mrpebble6433]

I have been really looking forward to you doing a Sparrowhawk video. As always brilliant learning, thanks Liam 👍

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you, I hope it was worth the wait!

[@Beak_to_lens]

Great video mate, love Sparrow hawks!😍

[@curiousuranus810]

Excellent once again

[@dazmick1111]

😃 🙂 YEEEEEEEESA! Thanks. Love it.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Cheers Daz! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dazmick1111]

@@AShotOfWildlife Made my day. Thank you.

[@philiptaylor7902]

Great video Liam. What a beautiful bird the sparrow hawk is.

[@NaturallyCuriousUK]

One of my most memorable Sparrowhawk encounters was in Bethnal Green, east London. Walking past Marie Curie Park we spotted one through the railings only about 50 feet away. It had nailed a pigeon and was busy tucking in. Only had very early phone cameras on us so couldn't get decent photos or footage. Memorable experience though. 🙂👍

[@DakotaEmery3]

Hawks are my favorite bird in the whole entire world. This is a super cool video and my favorite type of hawk is the sparrow hawk. I’m still a dumb 12-year-old boy so I only know about sparrowhawks because of KZbin but yeah, I really love hawks and really love sparrowhawks.

[@garethsmith6998]

Fabulous video ! We have a resident sparrowhawk pair in our area , they are both beautiful birds ! Those piercing eyes are stunning !!!

[@mituldesai666]

This one is also informative Dear..

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@christrella3134]

I belong to a few pigeon flyer sites and although I live in the US, I read countless articles/ posts on the Sparrow Hawks and the damage they do to pigeon lofts. Pigeon flocks. They remind me of the Coopers Hawks here in America. Looks wise, habits and habitat, and especially the prey! Meanwhile, do you know if they're members of the Accepitor family? ( yes, I'm sure I botched the spelling!) Goshawks, Sharp Shined, & Coopers Hawks all are and share many of the same traits. Great video and don't expect many accolades from the pigeon fancy!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Here I think most of the pigeon fanciers select peregrines as their hated bird of prey but I'm sure sparrowhawks aren't the top of their Christmas list either. Yes, they are members of the Accipiter family so closely related to goshawks etc.

[@Bignfluffy]

I use your videos to learn more and more about the wonderful diverse wildlife we have in this country😊 you’ve also encouraged me to get out more and try and find them too😂

[@mrstandfast2212]

I always feel privileged to see these apex hunters in a suburban setting such as where I live, although it's usually little more than a fleeting glimpse. Recently a female made a kill of a blackbird in our back garden. As in the video, she ate it where she'd killed it, flew up to a swing seat where she then spent another half an hour, preening her feathers and presumably digesting her meal. After she'd left, I inspected the corpse of the blackbird. She'd plucked and eaten the main body, leaving the head, wings and feet untouched. More impressively, the backbone still had everything attached, and the digestive system had also been ignored. A surgeon couldn't have carried out a more precise procedure.

[@martyndormer]

Ace! My local pidges are terrified of sparrowhawks.🐦

[@ianwoods1384]

Hello my friend, Thank you very much for your film and telling us all about Sparrowhawks. I always love to see them, though seeing them is a very fortunate experience as they are so illusive. Much of what you explained to us was a mystery to me. I've seen cobalt blue Sparrowhawks, but yet brown ones, too? Where they Kestrels?? Thank you for explaining they were male and female. The females are significantly larger than the males. I thought you brought us a fantastic film with a great, educational commentary. I spend a lot of time outside, and I found what you've done very beneficial Thank you very much, Ian.

[@sue.Hoo123]

Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@Compo67]

They have got to be one of the most deadly predators in the UK bird world! Quick, agile, intelligent with different strategies for catching different species of bird. Have seen them In action quite a few times now. They seem very successful when they strike. Impressive when you see them with tactics such as chasing a Robin towards a patio door and then simply picking up the stunned prey after it collided with the door! I don’t know how big their hunting range is but I was lucky to see both a male and female on the same walk one morning covering about a mile distance.

[@petelumley1578]

Another outstanding vid Liam. I’d really like you to do a vid on the Corncrake if possible. Take care buddy.

[@sidensvans67]

Fabulous birds . I am blessed to have them visit my place .

[@jjmetrejhon1743]

We've just had a sparrowhawk in our back garden this week after not having seen one for years, so this is fantastic!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Ah, brilliant timing then. Glad to have been of assistance!

[@digitalchameleon1884]

I had one in my garden after taking a pigeon last year, unfortunately only got a very grainy shot but an awesome sight none the less. Great video Liam :)

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Lucky you seeing that in the garden. Not so lucky for the pigeon but thats the way nature goes.

[@davefave4351]

I've seen two sparrowhawks, male and female, in the grounds of my block in South London - one, the larger female, on a damp and grey Sunday lunchtime, took one of my hand tame pigeons that clustered around when I appeared in the morning with the feed bucket. Here died Charlie, A pigeon, debonair, Victim of a sparrow hawk, Swiftly silent through the air. Hand fed and pampered, You were always my mate, When down swept a raptor, Poor Chas to predate. Talon torn, beak ripped, Eviscerated, deftly plucked, I'm really sorry Charlie, You were right royally shall we leave that there?! RIP Charlie. ??/2018/19? - 29/09/2019

[@dennycraig8483]

We sometimes have a sparrow hawk in our back garden in Watford they use the bird feeders as a target point for smaller birds.

[@clarsach29]

A few years ago I was walking along a street in my small town and out of the corner of my eye saw movement and a cloud of feathers being thrown up on the doorstep of one of the houses I was passing. I assumed at first it was a cat killing a pigeon but when I stopped to look I could see it was a sparrowhawk tearing apart a smaller bird on someone's front doorstep. Never seen a sparrowhawk before or since, but fascinating to watch that one time.

[@celestenova777]

Great vid..don't think I've heard their call before. Had one visit the garden a few times last year - there's a long hedge full of sparrows nearby - but haven't seen one this year. Thanks Liam, another wonderful vid 🕊.

[@jonemery8324]

Picked one up from my garden last year. A juvenile with legs that didn't work so took it to the RSPB laid on its back in a shoe box but sat up so it could see where it was going in its Mini Cooper flying up the dual carriageway. Was as good as gold and mesmerized but was put to sleep as it had a congenital deformation not allowing it to hunt.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Good job trying to help it but its a shame it couldnt be saved. At least it didnt suffer any more.

[@TheWobblyFace]

Thanks for sharing and the info Liam. Fantastic birds and I've had several kills in my back garden. I've also posted a video on KZbin of one hunting in my back garden which went on for sometime. Amazing to watch but the hawk didn't get anything on the occasion.

[@JenP386]

thank u again for a awesome video

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks for watching!

[@thomasmcloney1437]

So well done. Thanks mate. 👍

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Glad you enjoyed it, cheers!

[@S.A.N.]

Awesome as always :) Thank you

[@1951GL]

Sparrowhawks have been common in NE England for a few years, a male regularly resting on my back fence - every other bird disappears from my garden, while he gives me a look (very orange eyes) as though I am something he has stepped in. There are trees in the street outside but our area is far from rural.

[@RobertEFuller]

Hi 👋 many people think for some reason female Sparrowhawk have brown wings ! This is only true for juvenile of both males and females females are slate grey in adult plumage although males are more colourful usually especially on the lighter fronts and face cheeks I filmed a 5 year old female nesting this year check her colours out on my KZbin channel Some people have told me she is a male because of her colours, I have filmed her at the nest for 3 years from 3m away so I know the bird well and males don’t lay and incubate eggs 🥚 and feed small chicks

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Hi Robert. Firstly, great to see you have watched one of my videos, I'm a big fan of your videos (although I mainly watch them on fscebook). To me females do look more brownish over the wings than males and of course a lot of online sources state the same thing (including the rspb www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/sparrowhawk/) but I do bow down to your knowledge, if the one you are filming has grey wings I do not doubt that is the case. Perhaps it's like the colouration of males and becomes more intense with age?

[@kevinparker461]

Lots of people see the orange coloured breast feathers & think its a male. Not always correct. I trained & flew Sparrowhawks for over 30 years & i also bred them in captivity for over 10 years. Females often, in their first & second years have an orange coloured breast.

[@RobertEFuller]

@@AShotOfWildlife Hi yes this is a strange one as both males and females colours become more intense as they get older but all adult plumage females have grey feathers on there backs and wings and some get very intense colours on there breasts cheeks and flanks, but not quite as well coloured as the males. The information on the RSPB is incorrect as it is in many other sources unfortunately Dave Culley is doing a film on Sparrowhawks next year and is using the female that I have filmed to touch on this subject of female colouring, he has spent more time studying and filming them than anyone else in in the world

[@paulstuckey9993]

In South Wales we know the male sparrowhawk as a musket. Be nice to see a video on a goshawk. Good video, well done

[@liberaldriller9884]

Thanks for such a great video on these beautiful birds ❤

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you for watching!

[@Jaded-Wanderer]

Another great video

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks!

[@peterspencer5250]

As always, you do a wonderful job when you make your videos. I really appreciate your presentations and if you ever visit west Cornwall I would really enjoy meeting up with you. Peter

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thanks Peter. Of course, Cornwall is on my list of places to visit so if I do get round that way, i'll give you a shout. Its always great to get local knowledge!

[@brentnearhood8874]

Thanks! 🪶

[@rishabhwatts1676]

Another great video, thanks Liam! I recently moved to a house with a garden full of sparrows and have seen several sparrowhaws going after them

[@Daniel-S1]

Thanks. I have had the occasional pigeon eaten on my lawn by a Sparrowhawk. One also took a young robin once, and sometimes I see a few feathers on the lawn that suggests other kills have taken place. In and near a local park I have seen a Sparrowhawk down a pigeon.

[@leegorman8322]

Collared doves near me, saw one sprip a dove down to the carcass and fly of with it! Must have been hungry 🤣Majestic bird we don't see enough of. 👍

[@StevePorter_au]

Great video. We get Collared Sparrowhawks visiting our backyard in suburban Brisbane, Australia. They're usually chasing the feral rock pigeons that steal our chicken food. They often get confused here with Brown Goshawks that look very similar. The easiest way I've found to tell the difference is the Sparrowhawks have skinny legs. There's also the saying, Sparrowhawks stare, Goshawks glare.

[@benj6107]

Really interesting, thanks. We have a regular sparrow hawk that visits our garden and we often find the remanence of a kill. Normally it’s a neat pile of wood pigeon feathers and that’s about it. It is pretty bold, I’ve witnessed it hunt sparrows in my hedge row a couple of metres away from me and once we were sat eating our dinner, it made a kill and preceded to devour its quarry right in front of us for 10 minutes. I’m fascinated with this bird. They are incredible to watch.

[@MrTrick.]

Top drawer as always Liam. I heard that a large female sparrowhawk is hard to tell apart from a small male goshawk. Any chance of a goshawk video sometime?

[@janiedunn637]

❤️ watching this. I’ve had 👍🏻 views of Sparrowhawks . About 30yrs ago walking the dog one just appeared with a kill. Plucking the feathers 🪶 on a fence post then another. Then flew away with its kill. Probably a starlings or blackbird

[@trevorhoward7682]

We have a well stocked bird table (top of a bunker really). The female sparrowhawk sees it as a dining table and we've witnessed a number of strikes. She's usually successful. The male's rare attempts usually end in failure. Sparrows, dunnocks and starlings are her main targets - this only feet from our conservatory windows. She hit a closed conservatory door once but still took the sparrow. She also hit an open door as she made the kill. She stood on the slabs shaking her head but, tightly gripping her kill before taking it away. Fascinating birds.

[@dexocube]

Amazing creatures

[@FlightsOfFancy2020]

I am privileged to have many wild birds visiting here and over the years I've had increasing numbers of sparrowhawks. I usually take the losses as just a part of nature's way, losing several smaller birds each year. I've looked after greater spotted woodpeckers (initially as a promise to the elderly lady who sold me this house) over the last 25 years, and seen their numbers increase each year. The sparrowhawks fail more often than win. A few years ago I was watching a woodpecker on one of the feeders on a breezy day when suddenly a s-h shot in and missed its target. While recovering from the exertion (I find that they often need a rest after a failed stoop), on top of my PVC sheet "squirrel-baffle", I realised that the feeding woodpecker was still motionless on the far side of the feeder, very aware of the s-h. The s-h, however, was unaware of the woodie, frozen in place on the peanut feeder. I was fascinated by how this would play out - rather hoping that the s-h would catch its breath and clear off. Unbelievably the wind very slowly turned the peanut feeder around, exposing the increasingly unhappy woodie. Still the s-h didn't notice the woodie as it had remained motionless - but certainly in the wrong place. I was horrified to see the woodie eventually panic and try to shoot off to safety. Wrong move. S-h had it pinned to the lawn within 10 metres - incredible skill and speed! I'm sure that if the woodie had just held its nerve for a few more seconds Mrs s-h would have gone on her way to find a different victim. Last year we lost at least 3 woodies, putting a large dent in local numbers. I decided to step in a little as I think that it was getting a bit too easy for the hunters here (shooting fish in a barrel was a suitable comparison). After long deliberation I bought 8 x 4m white fibreglass rods and used 4 to shield each peanut feeder in a kinda 'wigwam' setup, just to make it a trickier ambush route. So far this year I've only seen 1 (unsuccessful) s-h visit, but there's still been several feather-piles around the lawn, so food is still being taken but hopefully the woodies will be able to build up their numbers again. I'd like to see more woodpigeons, magpies, jays & crows taken from hereabouts! Sorry for long comment but hope the story is interesting for folk.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

We have sparrow hawks along the hillside where we live. Occasionally they succeed in taking a sparrow or other small bird from dog rose in our garden, which is a popular perching spot, though mostly their hunts end in them becoming entangled in the thorns. I've seen unsuccessful hunts from literally feet away, though my neighbour has seen a sparrow taken.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Great that you get to see them. I think people dont like them because they do try to eat other garden birds but that is of course, the only way that nature can properly work. With predators and prey. Thanks for watching the video, let me know if there are any other birds you'd like to see me cover.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

@@AShotOfWildlife How about the buzzard ? I've seen them at fairly close quarters in other parts of the country, and while they do exist in these parts they're not very common, and usually spotted at some distance. I'd love to know more about them !

[@claretbuck1882]

Awesome

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you!

[@simondo1027]

Great info as usual Liam. I didn't know that they are only 10% successful with their hunts!

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you. It is such a low success rate but i bet the birds they prey on are grateful.

[@barbarahalkyard1901]

I'd have to disagree with that comment .They had more success with our pigeons.

[@AShotOfWildlife]

@barbarahalkyard1901 I guess your local ones could be more adept hunters but it is a published figure that only 1 in 10 hunts are successful.

[@nickwebb9290]

Brilliant. Very helpful Liam as I’ve occasionally heard that bird call but never been able to see what it was. Now I know 👍

[@someblokecalleddave1]

Being an avid birdwatcher in the 1970's when there was all the problems with DDT and very other boy being an egg collector Sparrowhawks in the part of Essex where I lived were non existent. It meant that I had to wait till around 1993 before I saw my first one, but what an impressive entry. Sitting on the edge a bit of a grassy area on a big industrial estate in Basildon watching sparrows and starlings at lunch time we witnessed one come out of nowhere and taken down a sparrow. Very impressive. See them everywhere now, along with Peregrines, Red Kites and others.

[@cubeh8331]

Had one of these catch a female blackbird in my garden last year, on the outskirts of Glasgow. At first I thought it was an injured pigeon, but as I got closer I realised what it was. I was alerted to it because all of the jackdaws were on the roofs around my garden making a huge racket, obviously warning of the presence of a predator.

[@simonrowland3995]

Great vid love. X

[@garyrock2356]

Sometimes I have found the odd dove or pigeon carcass in the garden, I just though it must have been a cat, but a while ago I went into the garden to see a Sparrowhawk take off from it's kill, a dove carcass mostly eaten with the head severed and a ring of feathers about. People say it's a sign of a healthy ecosystem, so I was happy in the thought, that nature was prospering for a change. 🙂

[@Nevsmith02]

They are fierce wild birds which sit very ill in the urban garden seting . Here, on the West Lancs coast, near the marshes, they heavily and bloodily predate collared doves, thrushes and starlings in urban gardens where food is offered to small birds. They have two techniques. The first is a hedge-hopping swoop, very sporting. The second, honed to perfection, is ambush: they sit in a thick bush for hours and then lunge onto young birds which scream horribly for some time as they are crushed and plucked. An acquired taste, definitely.

[@MonktonJohn]

Wonderful video 👍

[@Niki-xr6cw]

I have a pair of spars that hunt in my garden ,they alway get the birds that are slowest to take off so keep the bird population healthy ,and yeah they leave their pray feather all over the bottom of my UK garden .

[@nicnak4475]

Fascinating ! Thanks Liam 👍

[@archiediggins641]

Oh gosh! I think Ive seen one this past week. It sat initially on electric cable but then flew in a straight line at the same height as cable. Then I saw a couple of days later chaos slightly higher up with little birds flying all over the place as what I believed to be Sparrowhawk trying to catch one. I had no idea they would pick off larger birds also though. NW Highlands.

[@gjclark2478]

Saw my first sparrow hawk last Friday ( that I could identify) . Considering I live in Wiltshire which has red kites and buzzards seen more commonly, sparrowhawks and kestrels are hard to come by recently. You post some great content, cheers👍

[@debbiecole3609]

I live in Wiltshire too. I've regularly seen sparrow hawks in my garden ( definitely not the same one as have seen males and females). I live in a small town, so not particularly in open countryside and am quite surprised that they've found their way to my garden.

[@micksmusicchannel]

Beautiful birds

[@JenP386]

I loved this great work

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you!

[@timsmith6688]

Awesome! …. well done fella …. 👌

[@allanmacbadger5692]

I regularly see Sparrowhawks on Salisbury plain, mostly females.

[@williamhector6863]

Yet again that was fantastic

[@AShotOfWildlife]

Thank you!

[@donnaml8776]

Great video. I really enjoyed learning about Sparrow Hawks. These gorgeous creatures remind me of Falcons. Although the Sparrow Hawk is smaller, and both the male and female Falcons sit on their nests. But their markings are somewhat similar, and as with most birds of prey their female is larger than the male, also their young remain close to their parents for about the first year to learn to hunt, oh and they usually remain together from year to year. There’s a little bit more I’m sure, but that’s about all I can think of about the Falcon. People don’t realize that it’s keeping it all in balance that they hunt other birds. It’s weird that people actually hate a bird for being a bird of prey. Idk 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t get it. A side note; it was really sad this year when the bird flu killed many Falcons. I watch some of the nests on EarthCam, and I saw a few of them just drop dead from it. It was terrible.

[@jacksg1809]

EMF signals kill them there is no bird flu

[@themackeler5011]

Very informative we see one fairly regular in our garden my neighbour has a dove house which he or she targets seen them being eaten only feathers left no body parts.

[@keithmartland6463]

I was outside work two weeks ago, just about to move when i saw two birds in the air about ten feet away, i stopped thinking it was two Pigeons, turn out to be a Sparrowhawk on a Pigeon, caught it and landed a feet away from my feet, i just froze, the sparrowhawk was looking around her, then flew off with caught pigeon, just an amazing sight, so i know now it was a female. great film btw

[@shuggiemcg1]

About 2 years ago i was mowing the back garden, where I regularly see a lot of feathers from a Sparrow Hawk kill, well anyway I bent over to unlock the cuttings box from the lawn mower and suddenly get hit in the back of the head with something, stood up thinking it was my mate messing about cause I hadn't heard him come in to garden with mower going, no one there! Look down to see what it was and there at my feet was a Sparrow Hawk with a Pigeon in its talons, both looking up at me as if to say "What!" lol well the sparrow hawk let go of the pigeon and the pigeon got away and then the Sparrow Hawk also flew away!

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

That's at least two comments discussing a pigeon kill in this comments section. Surprising, as a pigeon's a similar size to a sparrow hawk, so the risk of receiving damage if the prey struggles must surely be higher than when taking a sparrow, for instance. Perhaps pigeons are just easier to catch?

[@shuggiemcg1]

@CliveofEngland it may well be as you say easier to catch or the abundance of them

[@Greencava11]

A few days ago i heard a commotion out of my bedroom window the birds were going wild i looked down and got a close view of a Sparrowhawk with its claw on a fledgling which was screaming. At first i wasnt sure what to do my normal instinct when the local cats are on the prowl near the neighbours feeders is to shoo them away but obviously this was different. I didnt know much about sparrowhawks and thought either way the fledgling would be too injured and it would be a quick kill. What i didn't expect was that the kill went on for some time and i was torn between hearing the distressed bird having its feathers plucked out (after a protracted period of moving it around on the ground with its claws ) whilst still being alive to feeling amazed that i was so close to this stunning hawk. In the end it got disturbed picked the bird up and flew off....with a crow chasing after it . I cant forget the awful sound of the fledgling but i feel privileged to have witbessed this beautiful bird doing its thing.

[@nicedog1]

One thing about them that you didn’t mention is that they often circle to great heights then dive like a peregrine across the sky. I’ve seen this many times.

[@neilritson7445]

There is a great video elsewhere showing a hawk flying towards prey very fast, and through a gap in a tree, where it lifts both wings up to get through!

[@gsedd1001]

It was a Goshawk in a wood in the UK