162 



THE SPABROW-HAWK. 



[Dec. mi. 



YI— THE SPARROW-HAWK 



(Accipiter Nisus). 



This hawk is somewhat smaller than the Kestrel or Wind- 

 hover, Falco tinnunculus, described in the first number of this 

 Journal. The male is about 12 inches in length, and the female 

 is generally from 2 J to 4 inches longer. The upper part of the 

 body of the male is of a bluish-slate colour, while the under part 

 is brown, or greyish brown, with bars of darker colour. In the 

 female the body is brov/n, and the under parts light grey with 

 brownish bars. Both male and female have a blue beak and 

 yellow legs and feet. The wings are short. Unlike the Kestrel, 

 the Sparrow-hawk generally builds a nest of sticks in trees, in 

 oaks and firs by preference, usually in the depths of woods. In 

 the beginning of May it usually lays five or six round eggs of 

 a bluish-green colour with shades or spots of brown. 



The Sparrow-hawk may be distinguished at once by its 

 peculiar flioht. At one time it is seen high up in the air, 

 propelling itself by the use of its wings, then skimming along 

 for a while without their motion. When in pursuit of prey it 

 dashes with incredible velocity through trees and underwood, 

 into stack yards and poultry yards, or swoops down with almost 

 lightning rapidity upon a sparrow or other small bird, or, it may 

 be, a young chicken, frequently quite regardless of the close 

 presence of man. 



Though termed Sparrow-hawk, it does not confine its attention 

 to sparrows, but captures many kind of small birds, especially 

 chaffinches and other finches, blackbirds, thrushes, wrens, and 

 titmice. Ritzema Bos says, in his Tierisclie Schddlinge und 

 Nutzlinge, that it is considered injurious in Germany, because it 

 kills so many insect-destroying birds, In France, according to 

 Brocchi, it has the same reputation. 



The Sparrow-hawk has a bad character in Great Britain, at 

 least among game-preservers and keepers, and poultry women. 

 This is justified to some extent, for it undoubtedly takes young 

 partridges, pheasants and rabbits, particularly when it has young 

 ones, and is a far worse offender in this respect than the Kestrel, 

 which rarely takes birds of any kind. Careful observers who 

 have watched the nests of Sparrow-hawks have remarked that 

 the feathers round the nest and in the pellets are chiefly those 

 of small birds, but the feathers of game and chickens are some- 

 times found. If the little piles of feathers and bones often seen 

 by the sides of woods and hedgerows, and on banks, constituting 

 the remains of a Sparrow-hawk's meal are examined, it will be 

 noticed they are in the main those of small birds and mice, and 

 not infrequently of frogs and rabbits. Selby states that in a nest 



