THE SPARROW HAWK 
By WILLIAM BUTCHER 
The National Association of Audubon Societies 
Educational Leaflet No. 10 
The Sparrow Hawk is the smallest of the North American hawks, 
and is also our most beautiful species, as well as one of the most 
beneficial. Its name is singularly inappropriate, as it has no resemblance 
THE SPARROW HAWK, A MALE, NEARLY ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE 
to a sparrow in form or habits, nor does it eat sparrows in preference 
to anything else. It might more properly be called Grasshopper Hawk, 
because it destroys enormous quantities of these pestilent insects. 
The only hawks with which this falcon may be confused are the 
Pigeon Hawk and the Sharp-shinned Hawk. 
The large amount of chestnut on the back and tail of both sexes 
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