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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Sparrowhawk sighting in Tsavo West National Park, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Tsavo West National Park
Ovampo Sparrowhawk
Accipiter ovampensis
Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
Melierax poliopterus
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
Martial Eagle
Polemaetus bellicosus
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
Brown Snake Eagle
Circaetus cinereus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar
📅 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 Tsavo West National Park?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Sparrowhawk sighting in Tsavo West National Park, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Tsavo West National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Tsavo West National Park in our monthly data.