The Eurasian Sparrowhawk is a small hawk of European and Asian woodlands that darts through trees to catch small birds. It is an exceptional visitor to the United States.
Appearance
Appearance
Short, rounded wings and a long tail help it turn through trees. Females are noticeably larger than males.
Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) are expected in Alaska and have a small head tucked into the wings in flight. The two can look very similar; a distant photo alone may not settle the identification of a claimed Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
Why they get mixed up · Both are small, bird-hunting hawks.
An adult American Goshawk (Astur atricapillus) is much larger, with a bold white eyebrow and a heavy body. A Eurasian Sparrowhawk is slimmer and smaller.
Why they get mixed up · Both are long-tailed woodland hawks in Alaska.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
woodlands
woodland edges
Range
It lives across much of Europe and Asia. In the United States, it has been recorded in Alaska but is not a regular breeding bird.
Seasonal presence
An exceptional visitor in Alaska.
Behavior
Diet
It catches mostly small birds.
Name and classification
About the name
There are European, island, North African, Himalayan, and East Asian . The East Asian form (Accipiter nisus nisosimilis) reaches Korea and Japan.
Conservation
IUCN Red List
LCLeast Concern·Low risk of extinction
Culture and stories
Culture and stories
In Britain, this species is commonly called simply the sparrowhawk.