Subspecies:sparverius recorded in Britain (of 17 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
20 cm
Wingspan:
55 cm
Weight:
M/F: 120 g
Scientific name from:
L.: falco=falcom (from falcis=sickle, ref hooked talons)
and L.: sparverius=sparrowhawk
World Distribution:
North & Central America, South America except Amazonia
Habitat:
Desert, scrub, farmland, towns
Diet:
Arthropods and small vertebrates
TitBit:
In winter in many southern parts of the range, female and male birds use different habitats, the females migrate south first and occupy open areas, leaving the males to settle in more wooded areas
Records and Distribution
First Record:
Fair Isle, 1976
(Taylor, A.M. 1981. British Birds 74:199-203.)
These data should be cited as: Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)