Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusAccipiter
- SpeciesAccipiter nisus (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. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more. The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World; whilst birds from the northern parts of the range migrate south for winter, their southern counterparts remain resident or make dispersive movements. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Sparrowhawk sighting in Tatra National Park, based on 61 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Tatra National Park
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
European Honey-buzzard
Pernis apivorus
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Aquila pomarina
Western Marsh-Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
White-tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopus
Imperial Eagle
Aquila heliaca
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Tatra National Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Sparrowhawk sighting in Tatra National Park, based on 61 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Tatra National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Tatra National Park in our monthly data.