THE SPAEEOW HAWK 



. Accipiter nisus. 



HIS handsome and spirited bird is 

 one of the commonest of the 

 British Falconidae ; it is a most 

 persistent and relentless destroyer 

 of other birds, and undoubtedly 

 makes more serious inroads into 

 the ranks of the feathered tribes 

 than any other raptorial species. 

 It has been calculated that a 

 Sparrow Hawk destroys on an 

 average about three birds per day, 

 and as this would give a total of 

 over 2,000 birds annually for 

 every pair of Sparrow Hawks, no 

 further proof of their astonishing 

 rapacity need be cited. 



Courage and audacity, com- 

 bined with a silent and stealthy 

 mode of approaching its prey, are 

 the distinguishing characteristics 

 of the Sparrow Hawk. Occa- 

 sionally it may be seen boldly 

 assailing another bird in the very 

 presence of bystanders ; but more 



22 



