The Sparrowhawk is the smaller edition of the Goshawk with remarkable yellow irisses, just as the fine banded chest and thin but strong yellow claws. Sparrowhawks have blunt wings withe a relatively large surface. The wings are much broader than those of falcons with which they are easily confused. The name indicates the diet: small passerines.

The difference in size between male and female is handy because they are no competitors for their food, because females hunt larger preys.

All my pictures can be found here.

Field characteristics. 28-38 cm, span 98-117 cm.

A Goshawk and a Sparrowhawk are very similar but a Goshawk is larger. At least: a female is, as with many burds of prey, larger than the males. A female Goshawk is easily recognized by her size. However a female Sparrowhawk is as big as a male Goshawk....

Usefull in determination is the much larger bill and chest of the Goshawk, just as the slighly longer neck, shorter tail and rounded outer tail feathers. Male Goshawks have more contrast on the head with a prominent eyebrow and black cap.   


Sound: The fast keh-keh-keh-keh of both sexes as contact and alarm call. In dutch we call this last sound "kekkeren".