Sparrowhawk 1 Collared Dove 0

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)


It's quite unusual for my Dad to phone me out of the blue in the middle of the day, so when it happened last week I assumed it was either to share important family gossip or report some interesting back garden bird news from home. Thankfully it turned out to be the latter, with this great photo providing the answer. Sparrowhawk numbers may be increasing but it's not everyday one lands on the patio in your garden with a rather sorry Collared Dove in its talons.

It is a habit of Sparrowhawks to pluck their prey before consuming it as this individual determinedly shows. The barred grey underparts and long, blunt tail (with visible dark banding) indicate that this is a female Sparrowhawk. Females are much larger than the males, who would probably struggle to bring down a bird the size of a Collared Dove. As a stealthy bird-hunter, Sparrowhawks have their detractors who attribute the decline of birds such as Song Thrush to their rise in numbers, but I think this photo captures an impressive bird with a power, vision and intent that should be admired.