# Eurasian Sparrowhawk (*Accipiter nisus*)

The Eurasian sparrowhawk (*Accipiter nisus*) is a bird of the family Accipitridae, in the order Accipitriformes.

> The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small, fast hawk of Europe and Asia that ambushes small birds, including at garden feeders. Males are slate-grey above with orange-barred underparts; females are brown-grey and up to about twice as heavy. It is 29–41 cm long with a wingspan of 59–80 cm. It recovered after pesticide declines in the 1950s and 1960s and is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Breeds across Europe and northern Asia and in north-west Africa; northern birds winter in southern Asia and north-east Africa.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/eurasian-sparrowhawk/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Accipitriformes
- **Family:** Accipitridae
- **Genus:** Accipiter

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Accipiter nisus |
| Diet | Small birds, from tits and finches to thrushes and pigeons |
| Habitat | Woodland, farmland with hedges, parks and gardens |
| Size | 29–41 cm long; wingspan 59–80 cm |
| Weight | 110–342 g; females much heavier than males |
| Lifespan | Typically 4 years; oldest ringed bird in Britain 17 years |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021) |

## Identification

Sparrowhawks have short, rounded wings, a long, square-ended tail and long yellow legs. Adult males are blue-grey above with fine orange barring below and orange cheeks; females are larger, browner above and barred grey below with a pale stripe over the eye.

## Ambush hunters

They hunt by surprise, flying fast and low along hedges or through gardens and snatching small birds before they can react. Males take tits, sparrows and finches; the larger females can catch thrushes and pigeons.

## Recovery from pesticides

In the 1950s and 1960s organochlorine pesticides such as DDT thinned eggshells and poisoned adults, and sparrowhawks disappeared from much of eastern England. After the chemicals were restricted, the population recovered.

## Status

BirdLife International lists the Eurasian sparrowhawk as Least Concern (2021), estimating 2 to 3.2 million mature birds and a stable trend. BTO data give a typical life expectancy of 4 years; the oldest ringed bird in Britain lived 17 years.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do sparrowhawks cause garden bird declines?

Long-term studies, including by the BTO, have found little evidence that sparrowhawks cause declines in songbird populations; habitat change is a bigger factor.

### How do you tell a sparrowhawk from a kestrel?

Sparrowhawks have short, rounded wings and dash through cover; kestrels have long, pointed wings and often hover over open ground.

### Why are female sparrowhawks bigger?

Female sparrowhawks are up to about twice the weight of males. Different sizes let the pair hunt different-sized prey.

### How long do sparrowhawks live?

Typically about 4 years once they reach breeding age; the oldest known, in Denmark, lived 20 years.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eurasian-sparrowhawk-accipiter-nisus)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Accipiter nisus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Accipiter_nisus/)
- [BTO BirdFacts: Sparrowhawk. British Trust for Ornithology.](https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/sparrowhawk)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/eurasian-sparrowhawk/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.