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Saw a female sparrowhawk take down a magpie a few years back. She saw me nearby, and stared at me with her piercing yellow eyes. I hardly moved, but she took off with her prey. Never forgot that encounter. Great info Liam 👍

Great video as always. Got to love a sparrowhawk

Love this. We look after quite a few injured wild sparrowhawks at our sanctuary.

these video's are very educational. excellent. keep them coming.

Love these birds, they visit our garden frequently. Thank you for all that very interesting info on the Sparrowhawk.👍

Interesting as always. We have a sparrowhawk that hunts in our rural garden surrounded by woodland. We have lots of bird feeders & if they're busy & then suddenly all the birds disappear en masse, you can be sure the sparrowhawk is in the area. I've seen it take an adult male blackbird & take it away, probably to feed chicks. It's horrible to see as the captured birds struggle. Also seen it flying fast after a sparrow that got away - happy not to be one of the 10%.

I had a juvenile sparrowhawk on my rear fence last autumn. A few days later I saw him again and he took a sparrow off the rear fence and ate it in a tree just behind. I see him quite regularly and he hunts in the wooded area behind my garden. He's such a gorgeous bird and is fascinating to watch. Love your videos.

One of my most memorable Sparrowhawk encounters was in Bethnal Green, east London. Walking past Marie Curie Park we spotted one through the railings only about 50 feet away. It had nailed a pigeon and was busy tucking in. Only had very early phone cameras on us so couldn't get decent photos or footage. Memorable experience though. 🙂👍

Unexpectedly i did see a sparrowhawk in central Brighton couple of years ago, on my way back from the shops. It was indeed snacking on another bird (maybe a pigeon) so that aspect was rather gruesome - but was still great to see such a magnificent bird.

Sparrow hawk caught a rat in my drive way,...and we managed to film it...amazing...and job well done...as natural as nature should be❤

An excellent video Liam .Superb photography and detail Many thanks , like and greetings..

Great video mate, love Sparrow hawks!😍

Hawks are my favorite bird in the whole entire world. This is a super cool video and my favorite type of hawk is the sparrow hawk. I’m still a dumb 12-year-old boy so I only know about sparrowhawks because of KZfaq but yeah, I really love hawks and really love sparrowhawks.

I always feel privileged to see these apex hunters in a suburban setting such as where I live, although it's usually little more than a fleeting glimpse. Recently a female made a kill of a blackbird in our back garden. As in the video, she ate it where she'd killed it, flew up to a swing seat where she then spent another half an hour, preening her feathers and presumably digesting her meal. After she'd left, I inspected the corpse of the blackbird. She'd plucked and eaten the main body, leaving the head, wings and feet untouched. More impressively, the backbone still had everything attached, and the digestive system had also been ignored. A surgeon couldn't have carried out a more precise procedure.

Excellent once again

Fortunately the sparrows in my garden are cleverer than the sparrow hawk. They disappear into the hedges and the hawk is unable to get into the tight spaces. The hawk gives up and sits on top of bird table just watching in frustration. The hawk gives up and only comes back once a month or so. (I feed 40 -50 sparrows a day) (also 40 starlings) (6 pigeons (3 different breeds)) And a Gull that sits on my car waiting to be fed

I have mixed feelings about this bird. It is beautiful and I love seeing them regularly in our garden but I also find it quite stressful due to them not killing their catch straight away before starting to eat it. I find it quite traumatic hearing the cry’s of the captured bird! 😳😢

Superb Amazing birds. Some amazing info in this video Liam. Nice work.

I belong to a few pigeon flyer sites and although I live in the US, I read countless articles/ posts on the Sparrow Hawks and the damage they do to pigeon lofts. Pigeon flocks. They remind me of the Coopers Hawks here in America. Looks wise, habits and habitat, and especially the prey! Meanwhile, do you know if they're members of the Accepitor family? ( yes, I'm sure I botched the spelling!) Goshawks, Sharp Shined, & Coopers Hawks all are and share many of the same traits. Great video and don't expect many accolades from the pigeon fancy!

Very good informative video lots of facts very interesting.

They are fierce wild birds which sit very ill in the urban garden seting . Here, on the West Lancs coast, near the marshes, they heavily and bloodily predate collared doves, thrushes and starlings in urban gardens where food is offered to small birds. They have two techniques. The first is a hedge-hopping swoop, very sporting. The second, honed to perfection, is ambush: they sit in a thick bush for hours and then lunge onto young birds which scream horribly for some time as they are crushed and plucked. An acquired taste, definitely.

They have got to be one of the most deadly predators in the UK bird world! Quick, agile, intelligent with different strategies for catching different species of bird. Have seen them In action quite a few times now. They seem very successful when they strike. Impressive when you see them with tactics such as chasing a Robin towards a patio door and then simply picking up the stunned prey after it collided with the door! I don’t know how big their hunting range is but I was lucky to see both a male and female on the same walk one morning covering about a mile distance.

😃 🙂 YEEEEEEEESA! Thanks. Love it.

An excellent video and super footage. Really interesting to hear all about them. We see them fly over our house but usually at a great height. Once, though, one flew in to our feeders and tried to grab a goldfinch just as I was videoing the goldfinches on the feeder, in slow motion. I was shocked and so surprised to get that little snippet of the hawk flying in, turning, and flying away again all in a split second. It went off empty taloned as the goldfinches were too smart for it!

thank u again for a awesome video

Utterly superb video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love these birds (I also love goshawks)! Masters of the air and tight corners. I have seen some go like "full speed" into a big bush and come out with their prey. I have also been lucky enough to see one adapt their stealth hunting, right up to our bird feeder. They fly like lightning. Luckily we have quite many here in Vienna, but as you state, they are hard to spot if they are not hunting or eating. Thank you for making me remember some good sightings!

Thanks! I think I've seen sparrowhawks occasionally on the Parkland Walk in north London.

Great video on these lovely birds, thanks man. Love em!!👍

Another fascinating video Liam. There's quite a decent population of Sparrowhawks around the area where I live, although I've only ever seen females. Even seen them a few times in my back garden, usually sitting in one of my trees looking out for prey. I even saw one swooping down and taking a starling once.

I use your videos to learn more and more about the wonderful diverse wildlife we have in this country😊 you’ve also encouraged me to get out more and try and find them too😂

Ace! My local pidges are terrified of sparrowhawks.🐦

Great video and informative thank you Liam.

Excellent Liam.. Thank you.

We sometimes have a sparrow hawk in our back garden in Watford they use the bird feeders as a target point for smaller birds.

A few years ago I was walking along a street in my small town and out of the corner of my eye saw movement and a cloud of feathers being thrown up on the doorstep of one of the houses I was passing. I assumed at first it was a cat killing a pigeon but when I stopped to look I could see it was a sparrowhawk tearing apart a smaller bird on someone's front doorstep. Never seen a sparrowhawk before or since, but fascinating to watch that one time.

Hi 👋 many people think for some reason female Sparrowhawk have brown wings ! This is only true for juvenile of both males and females females are slate grey in adult plumage although males are more colourful usually especially on the lighter fronts and face cheeks I filmed a 5 year old female nesting this year check her colours out on my KZfaq channel Some people have told me she is a male because of her colours, I have filmed her at the nest for 3 years from 3m away so I know the bird well and males don’t lay and incubate eggs 🥚 and feed small chicks

Great and informative video, We've got Sparrowhawks on the old railway line behind my garden.

We had a sparrow hawk land in our garden with it’s prey recently. Watching it have “lunch” from our lounge was such a great treat and real pleasure. They truly are beautiful birds. My thanks for the wider information you have provided about them, which was most interesting.

Awesome as always :) Thank you

Thanks! 🪶

Thanks very much, mate. Always enjoy your videos. Interesting and informative.

Great vlog on sparrowhawks, Liam. Good information as always, on their prey and lifestyle.

Hi Liam brilliant video again I love birds of prey I occasionally get a kestrel in my garden after the small birds keep up the great work and videos Bernard

Great vid..don't think I've heard their call before. Had one visit the garden a few times last year - there's a long hedge full of sparrows nearby - but haven't seen one this year. Thanks Liam, another wonderful vid 🕊.

I have been really looking forward to you doing a Sparrowhawk video. As always brilliant learning, thanks Liam 👍

So well done. Thanks mate. 👍

Sparrowhawks have been common in NE England for a few years, a male regularly resting on my back fence - every other bird disappears from my garden, while he gives me a look (very orange eyes) as though I am something he has stepped in. There are trees in the street outside but our area is far from rural.

An amazing bird to watch. Thanks for the introduction to them.

Another great video

This one is also informative Dear..

Another cracking video Liam! Beautiful birds! Thanks for such excellent content.

Another outstanding vid Liam. I’d really like you to do a vid on the Corncrake if possible. Take care buddy.

Superb info, I rescued one of these incredible birds a couple of years ago in my garden. Took it to the vets where they have a care of duty to look after them. I called the vet a week or so later and he said it was released back into the wild, it made my year to think I had a part in that. Love the vids keep them coming.

Always enjoy your videos, thanks.

Awesome

About 2 years ago i was mowing the back garden, where I regularly see a lot of feathers from a Sparrow Hawk kill, well anyway I bent over to unlock the cuttings box from the lawn mower and suddenly get hit in the back of the head with something, stood up thinking it was my mate messing about cause I hadn't heard him come in to garden with mower going, no one there! Look down to see what it was and there at my feet was a Sparrow Hawk with a Pigeon in its talons, both looking up at me as if to say "What!" lol well the sparrow hawk let go of the pigeon and the pigeon got away and then the Sparrow Hawk also flew away!

Hello my friend, Thank you very much for your film and telling us all about Sparrowhawks. I always love to see them, though seeing them is a very fortunate experience as they are so illusive. Much of what you explained to us was a mystery to me. I've seen cobalt blue Sparrowhawks, but yet brown ones, too? Where they Kestrels?? Thank you for explaining they were male and female. The females are significantly larger than the males. I thought you brought us a fantastic film with a great, educational commentary. I spend a lot of time outside, and I found what you've done very beneficial Thank you very much, Ian.

Great video Liam. What a beautiful bird the sparrow hawk is.

I regularly see Sparrowhawks on Salisbury plain, mostly females.

Thanks. I have had the occasional pigeon eaten on my lawn by a Sparrowhawk. One also took a young robin once, and sometimes I see a few feathers on the lawn that suggests other kills have taken place. In and near a local park I have seen a Sparrowhawk down a pigeon.

There is a great video elsewhere showing a hawk flying towards prey very fast, and through a gap in a tree, where it lifts both wings up to get through!

Top drawer as always Liam. I heard that a large female sparrowhawk is hard to tell apart from a small male goshawk. Any chance of a goshawk video sometime?

Sometimes I have found the odd dove or pigeon carcass in the garden, I just though it must have been a cat, but a while ago I went into the garden to see a Sparrowhawk take off from it's kill, a dove carcass mostly eaten with the head severed and a ring of feathers about. People say it's a sign of a healthy ecosystem, so I was happy in the thought, that nature was prospering for a change. 🙂

As always, you do a wonderful job when you make your videos. I really appreciate your presentations and if you ever visit west Cornwall I would really enjoy meeting up with you. Peter

I had one in my garden after taking a pigeon last year, unfortunately only got a very grainy shot but an awesome sight none the less. Great video Liam :)

Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

We have a well stocked bird table (top of a bunker really). The female sparrowhawk sees it as a dining table and we've witnessed a number of strikes. She's usually successful. The male's rare attempts usually end in failure. Sparrows, dunnocks and starlings are her main targets - this only feet from our conservatory windows. She hit a closed conservatory door once but still took the sparrow. She also hit an open door as she made the kill. She stood on the slabs shaking her head but, tightly gripping her kill before taking it away. Fascinating birds.

Picked one up from my garden last year. A juvenile with legs that didn't work so took it to the RSPB laid on its back in a shoe box but sat up so it could see where it was going in its Mini Cooper flying up the dual carriageway. Was as good as gold and mesmerized but was put to sleep as it had a congenital deformation not allowing it to hunt.

❤️ watching this. I’ve had 👍🏻 views of Sparrowhawks . About 30yrs ago walking the dog one just appeared with a kill. Plucking the feathers 🪶 on a fence post then another. Then flew away with its kill. Probably a starlings or blackbird

Wonderful vid. Thank you, my friend.

Brilliant

Monday morning ,the rain is throwing itself to the ground ,just watched the video about sparrow hawks .wow .life is good .well done fella . amazing filming

Thanks for sharing and the info Liam. Fantastic birds and I've had several kills in my back garden. I've also posted a video on KZfaq of one hunting in my back garden which went on for sometime. Amazing to watch but the hawk didn't get anything on the occasion.

Awesome! …. well done fella …. 👌

I loved this great work

Had one of these catch a female blackbird in my garden last year, on the outskirts of Glasgow. At first I thought it was an injured pigeon, but as I got closer I realised what it was. I was alerted to it because all of the jackdaws were on the roofs around my garden making a huge racket, obviously warning of the presence of a predator.

Great vid love. X

Excellent

I have a pair of spars that hunt in my garden ,they alway get the birds that are slowest to take off so keep the bird population healthy ,and yeah they leave their pray feather all over the bottom of my UK garden .

Absolutely beautiful bird. Great video.

Thanks for such a great video on these beautiful birds ❤

Wonderful video 👍

Amazing creatures

I’ve got a video of a sparrow hawk feeding on a live wood pigeon in my back garden but sadly didn’t see the official strike take care

I was outside work two weeks ago, just about to move when i saw two birds in the air about ten feet away, i stopped thinking it was two Pigeons, turn out to be a Sparrowhawk on a Pigeon, caught it and landed a feet away from my feet, i just froze, the sparrowhawk was looking around her, then flew off with caught pigeon, just an amazing sight, so i know now it was a female. great film btw

Fabulous video ! We have a resident sparrowhawk pair in our area , they are both beautiful birds ! Those piercing eyes are stunning !!!

Fabulous birds . I am blessed to have them visit my place .

A few days ago i heard a commotion out of my bedroom window the birds were going wild i looked down and got a close view of a Sparrowhawk with its claw on a fledgling which was screaming. At first i wasnt sure what to do my normal instinct when the local cats are on the prowl near the neighbours feeders is to shoo them away but obviously this was different. I didnt know much about sparrowhawks and thought either way the fledgling would be too injured and it would be a quick kill. What i didn't expect was that the kill went on for some time and i was torn between hearing the distressed bird having its feathers plucked out (after a protracted period of moving it around on the ground with its claws ) whilst still being alive to feeling amazed that i was so close to this stunning hawk. In the end it got disturbed picked the bird up and flew off....with a crow chasing after it . I cant forget the awful sound of the fledgling but i feel privileged to have witbessed this beautiful bird doing its thing.

Collared doves near me, saw one sprip a dove down to the carcass and fly of with it! Must have been hungry 🤣Majestic bird we don't see enough of. 👍

I am privileged to have many wild birds visiting here and over the years I've had increasing numbers of sparrowhawks. I usually take the losses as just a part of nature's way, losing several smaller birds each year. I've looked after greater spotted woodpeckers (initially as a promise to the elderly lady who sold me this house) over the last 25 years, and seen their numbers increase each year. The sparrowhawks fail more often than win. A few years ago I was watching a woodpecker on one of the feeders on a breezy day when suddenly a s-h shot in and missed its target. While recovering from the exertion (I find that they often need a rest after a failed stoop), on top of my PVC sheet "squirrel-baffle", I realised that the feeding woodpecker was still motionless on the far side of the feeder, very aware of the s-h. The s-h, however, was unaware of the woodie, frozen in place on the peanut feeder. I was fascinated by how this would play out - rather hoping that the s-h would catch its breath and clear off. Unbelievably the wind very slowly turned the peanut feeder around, exposing the increasingly unhappy woodie. Still the s-h didn't notice the woodie as it had remained motionless - but certainly in the wrong place. I was horrified to see the woodie eventually panic and try to shoot off to safety. Wrong move. S-h had it pinned to the lawn within 10 metres - incredible skill and speed! I'm sure that if the woodie had just held its nerve for a few more seconds Mrs s-h would have gone on her way to find a different victim. Last year we lost at least 3 woodies, putting a large dent in local numbers. I decided to step in a little as I think that it was getting a bit too easy for the hunters here (shooting fish in a barrel was a suitable comparison). After long deliberation I bought 8 x 4m white fibreglass rods and used 4 to shield each peanut feeder in a kinda 'wigwam' setup, just to make it a trickier ambush route. So far this year I've only seen 1 (unsuccessful) s-h visit, but there's still been several feather-piles around the lawn, so food is still being taken but hopefully the woodies will be able to build up their numbers again. I'd like to see more woodpigeons, magpies, jays & crows taken from hereabouts! Sorry for long comment but hope the story is interesting for folk.

Beautiful birds

This will be divisive but here goes. A few years ago I was out hunting at dusk for a Muntjac deer, I was sat at the top of a track in my vehicle calling with a squeak caller to try and entice it out into the open. I saw a bird flying up the hill along the track about 12" off the ground towards me and it dropped out of sight and appeared to fly under my vehicle but immediately landed on the barrel of my rifle which was resting on the wing mirror and the butt still in my shoulder. We had a stand off for approx four/five seconds when neither of us blinked or moved, before it took off. It was approx 10" from my face. Not the first time I've had a creature on my rifle barrel as the first time was a weasel but that's another story.

Oh gosh! I think Ive seen one this past week. It sat initially on electric cable but then flew in a straight line at the same height as cable. Then I saw a couple of days later chaos slightly higher up with little birds flying all over the place as what I believed to be Sparrowhawk trying to catch one. I had no idea they would pick off larger birds also though. NW Highlands.

I have one regularly buzzing the birds in my feeders, and then they cruise over to my neighbours feeders. They never land though. I saw one 2 years ago, it had killed a pigeon in the middle of a lane I was driving down. I stopped and wound down my window, it was directly below me, spreading it's wings protecting the kill. We looked at each other for a minute before I drove off, a beautiful encounter. In the same lane on another day coming from the other direction, I encountered a Tawney Owl in almost identical circumstances.

Archangel Michael is associated with Sparrowhawk Blessings and Hugs 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

We have sparrow hawks along the hillside where we live. Occasionally they succeed in taking a sparrow or other small bird from dog rose in our garden, which is a popular perching spot, though mostly their hunts end in them becoming entangled in the thorns. I've seen unsuccessful hunts from literally feet away, though my neighbour has seen a sparrow taken.

Great video. We get Collared Sparrowhawks visiting our backyard in suburban Brisbane, Australia. They're usually chasing the feral rock pigeons that steal our chicken food. They often get confused here with Brown Goshawks that look very similar. The easiest way I've found to tell the difference is the Sparrowhawks have skinny legs. There's also the saying, Sparrowhawks stare, Goshawks glare.

We've just had a sparrowhawk in our back garden this week after not having seen one for years, so this is fantastic!