Male sparrowhawks have blue-grey backs with a tinge of orange-red on the breast. Females are larger and browner with white breasts. They both have broad wings with rounded ends, a hooked beak and a square tail.
The sparrowhawks preferred nesting habitat is woodland. The sparrowhawk nests at a height of 10m or more and uses birch and larch twigs to make its nest. It will also hunt in farmland, across open heath and even amongst gardens.
Sparrowhawks are swift and manoeuvrable in flight. The sparrowhawk flies fast and low along a hedge or woodland edge, slipping over the top to catch small birds by surprise.
Carnivore - Sparrowhawks are supreme predators of woodland birds. They eat sparrows, finches, tits, thrushes and starlings. They eat their prey at a regular plucking post that is often at ground level.
Sparrowhawks suffered a decline due to pesticides and persecution. The population has now recovered and they are relatively common although difficult to spot. Sparrowhawks will catch garden birds but they are not responsible for the decline in these species.