About our Sparrowhawk's
Biology
The sparrowhawk is a common bird of prey in woodlands throughout the UK and much of Europe and northern Asia. It is 30-38 cm long, its wing span measures 60-80 cm. The wings are pointed, the tail is long and heavily banded with dark markings.
Their flight consists of a series of short wing strokes followed by periods of gliding flight. While the male hunts mostly sparrows and tits, the larger female often feeds on much larger prey like starlings or thrushes. Occasionally the sparrowhawk may choose to eat mice or large insects.
Their nest is often made in pine trees although any wooded area that offers good nesting and security has been found used.
In the nest the female lays around 4-6 brownish speckled eggs, that she broods for approx' 5 weeks. When the young hatch they are fed by the female for up to a month, the male brings food to the nest at regular intervals. For some time after they have left the nest the sparrowhawks may still return there to spend the night.
Our Sparrowhawk's
Our Sparrowhawks and their nest is based the heart of Cheshire in England close to a beautiful canal.
Our Streaming Cams
Our live streaming cams are permanently fixed in our wood in Cheshire, England and capture much of the goings on in a sparrowhawks typical daily routine.
To view online streaming Sparrowhawk cams, simply create an account and subscribe to our cams. A subscription costs £10.00 for 1 month. This will enable you to login and view the cameras online in realtime.
Did you know?
In China the sparrowhawk was associated with Autumn, the season of hunting and of living in retirement. In ancient Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire it was a symbol of the powers of the Sun.
A Greek myth tells of king Nisus, to whom the sparrowhawk owes its scientific name Accipiter nisus. Nisus' kingdom Megara was besieged by Minos and its safety depended upon the hair of Nisus. But Nisus' daughter, Scylla, was in love with Minos and cut off a lock of her father's hair which she offered to his enemy. Minos took advantage of the offer but drowned Scylla in the Saronic Sea. She was then changed into a lark and Nisus into a sparrowhawk, eternally chasing his daughter.
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