Michele Mendi

Small raptor, feeds almost entirely on birds. Nominate nisus: Europe to Asia Minor and Siberia; granti: Madeira and Canary Islands; punicus: Morocco to Tunisia; wolterstorffi: Corsica and Sardinia. Prefers well-grown, undisturbed, more or less extensive stands of coniferous, mixed, or less often purely deciduous trees. Population size is extremely large and stable, hence the status is Least Concern. Migratory, partially migratory, and dispersive; extent of regular seasonal movement increases progressively to north and north-east. Almost total autumn withdrawal from northernmost areas.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendStable
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		728000-1150000,915000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Fennoscandian and Danish birds move mainly NE - SW: most found in the Low Countries; France and C Europe; fewer in Spain, N Italy and the UK; also N - S movement, found in C and E Europe, the Balkan, Greece and Turkey. Finnish birds advanced their migration due to global warming (Lehikoinen 2011). UK birds move mainly NNW - SSE inside the UK; few recoveries in Denmark, Low Countries and W France. Birds from Low Countries move mainly NE - SW: most found in France but also Spain and few in Morocco. Also E - W movement with recoveries in the UK. Birds from C and E Europe move mainly NE - SW, most found in the Low Countries and Switzerland, also many in France, Spain and few in the Balkan, Italy, Portugal and the UK. From E Europe most found in C Europe, few in Greece and Turkey and one in Tunisia.

Recoveries by Condition for Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Until 1960 80% of the recoveries were dead birds, including 39% shot birds. From 1961 to 1990 64% concerned dead birds, including 5,2% shot birds. From 1991 58% concerned dead birds, less than 1% was shot.
The hunting hotspots were in Belgium, N France and E Netherlands. Also many shot birds in W and S France, Spain, N Italy, Czechia, NW Germany and Denmark. Less hunting on the British Isles, S Fennoscandia, the Balkan, Greece and Turkey.

Annual Movements for Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Year around there are hotspots in the S and C UK, Denmark and the Low Countries. From Nov - Jan there are also hotspots in Switzerland and NW Germany; also many in France, SW and C Europe; fewer in Ireland, N UK, S Fennoscandia, the Balkan, Greece, Near East and NW Africa. In Feb - Mar numbers in S Europe decrease, no reports from NW Africa and Near East. In Apr- May numbers in S Fennoscandia increase, numbers in C Europe decrease; few birds in Spain, France and N Italy and no birds in the Balkan. In Sep - Oct numbers in S, C and E Europe and the Balkan increase again, numbers in Norway and Sweden decrease. In Nov hotspots in Switzerland and NW Germany are growing, numbers in Finland decrease.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Fennoscandian and Danish breeders are most found in the Low Countries (Aug - Mar); also many in France and C Europe (Aug - Mar); fewer in the UK (Sep - Mar), Spain (Nov - Apr), Italy (Oct - Mar), the Balkan, Greece and Turkey (Sep - Mar). UK breeders are found in Denmark (Oct - Feb), the Low Countries (Oct - Nov), France (Oct - Jan) and Ireland (Dec - Jan). Breeders of the Low Countries are most found in France (Sep - Mar), Spain (Sep - Apr) and few in Germany (Oct - Feb), Denmark (Oct), S Sweden (Sep - Oct) and Morocco (Jan). Breeders of C and E Europe are most found in W and SW Europe (Sep - May), less in Italy (Oct - Mar), the Balkan (Oct - Jan) and NW Africa (Dec - Jan). From E Europe also recoveries in Greece (Feb) and Israël (Jan).

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Lehikoinen, A.2011 . Advanced Autumn Migration of Sparrowhawk Has Increased the Predation Risk of Long-Distance Migrants in Finland. PLOS One 6 article no.: e20001 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0020001)

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