Sparrow Halk ~ Accipiter nisus ~ A top predator ! A British Bird of Prey UK
April 10, 2011 Bird Suet Feeder
RSPB “As a top predator, sparrowhawks can only thrive if their prey – in this case songbirds – is present in good numbers and has a healthy population… Sparrowhawks don’t specialise in particular species, but take whatever is available and easy to catch. As a result, the most frequently caught birds are numerous and conspicuous, or are sick, old, weak or injured. The female takes prey up to wood pigeon size, but the smaller male does not catch anything bigger than the mistle thrush. In summer, about 40% of a sparrowhawk’s diet is fledglings. They employ many hunting techniques, depending on the habitat and prey. They are not built for stamina and long chases, though they have the ability to manoeuvre in pursuit better than any other raptor. In order to be successful they have to be able to approach their prey closely and undetected. The usual flying speed is 30-40 kph, but a sparrowhawk is capable of up to 50 kph in short bursts. Hunting sparrowhawks can be so focussed on their task that they put themselves at risk of harm from collisions. Because they’re quite easily seen, and small birds will give warning calls to each other, only about one attack in ten results in capture. Simon *Birder* Knott ~Wild Birds UK ~ British Bird and Wildlife Videos ***************************************************************************** Feed Garden Birds ~ RSPB Suet cake, Black Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, Fat, Fruit & Water Simbird.com ~ My bird website is at simbird.com google * simbird …
Comments (11)
Hummingbirds are fun, entertaining, full of energy and it’s easy to attract hummingbirds.
Thats a great looking Sparrowhawk. Ive only seen one once in my garden and that was a couple of years ago.
Great shot! Congratulations!
A beautiful female
Thank you NatureonScreen ~ Its good to know that it is a female Sparrowhalk
Thank you mbhsug ~ This is female Sparrowhalk only managed to scare off all my garden birds into the trees and bushes, but shows there is a healthy number of birds in my area, Wilden Marsh, Wyre Forest in Worcestershire
Thank you @GoldfinchGarden ~ This is a first for my garden birds ! But they were too quick for this Female Sparrowhalk… only managed to capture 10 seconds of video but well worth seeing every second
wow! s/he was gorgeous! that was a great capture! .. =D .. and the info on the sparrowhawk was very cool too! too bad it eats songbirds and doesn’t prey instead on mice, voles and the like. but that’s nature for you .. ;D
@simbirdcom they are MUCH bigger – great vid
Great video, I wish can live in a place like your! Birds, nature, peace and all! Cheers my friend, all the best to you and your beautiful birds! William Kenupp
bellissimo grazie molte
Thank you IOANGELA54 ~ The Sparrow Halk is a magnificent bird… I was lucky to video even for these few seconds