A pair of Little sparrowhawks are resident in our suburb and they visit our garden each day. The regular visits are probably because we put out food for the birds which helps their hunting success rate.

“Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” ~ Alice Walker

The Little sparrowhawk is a small and secretive raptor, just a bit larger than a laughing dove. It is the second smallest raptor in southern Africa after the Pygmy falcon. A male Little sparrowhawk typically weighs around 68 to 70 grams, and his mate can can be almost double his weight at between 100 and 105 grams.

The colour of the plumage of a Little sparrowhawk and African goshawk are similar with a grey head and upper parts. Its neck is white and its chest and belly are white with a slight rufous tinge and grey barring. It has yellow legs and a yellow cere and eye ring but its eyes vary in colour from yellow to orange. Males are blue-grey above with fine orange barring beneath, females are grey-brown and white. Young birds are browner with coarsely barred chests.

One of the most striking aspects of sparrowhawk morphology is the difference in size that exists between males and females. It is not uncommon for male raptors to be smaller than their mate, but the size difference between male and female sparrowhawk is usually large. It is speculated that this size difference ensures both birds can hunt different prey, and not come into conflict over limited prey, especially in winter. The larger female is also more able to protect her nest and young from predators.

“To be prepared against surprise is to be trained. To be prepared for surprise is to be educated.” ~ James P Carse

Although they look similar, there is marked difference in size between an African goshawk and the Little sparrowhawk. The African goshawk has a wingspan around 70cm and body length which varies between 36cm to 47cm whereas the Little sparrowhawk has a wingspan around 39cm and body length averaging 26cm.

Another marked difference is in the tail feather colouring. The African goshawk has clear dark grey and white banding whereas the Little sparrowhawk has very light banding on the underpart of the rectrices but two clear white spots on the upperparts of the tail feathers.

This small raptor is often seen alone and it usually hides in the middle of trees for cover. It is a diurnal hunter and we mainly see it in the hours around dawn and dusk. We hear the Little sparrowhawks often but only see them clearly in late August and September once the trees have lost most of their leaves. When the greenery returns to the trees these little raptors are more often heard than seen. According to Ulrich Oberprieler’s Raptor Guide of Southern Africa, the female calls a rapid high pitched “kick-kik-kik-kik” while the male’s call is a mellower “kew-kew-kew-kew”.

The Little sparrowhawk is a bird hunter, waiting in cover. When an opportunity presents itself, it attacks using a short dash which often results in flight capture. This raptor seems to catch many birds the same size as itself. It normally consumes its prey on a branch in a tree. It will go for chicks of many species if it can find them. The Little sparrowhawk preys mainly on small birds weighing between 15 and 60 grams which include seedeaters such as mannikin, waxbills, weavers and frugivores such as bulbuls and thrushes. We have seen the male Little sparrowhawk go for a Green woodhoopoe but they never seem to go for Indian mynas.

These sparrowhawks have keen eyesight and are excellent at targeting unsuspecting prey. As a perch hunter and using their sharp eyesight and acute hearing, they scan their surroundings for potential prey even when light is relatively low. When this diminutive raptor decides to attack it is phenomenally quick and agile diving through the branches of the trees at remarkable speed.

“Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.” ~ Anonymous

With the female being so much larger than the male and having a steadier flight pattern, she is able to hunt in more open spaces for larger prey. Males tend to hunt more in woodland and riverine areas seeking small sparrow-sized birds.

Little sparrowhawks prefer to nest in trees in forests and woodlands. Sparrowhawks build their own nests. The nest is often built low in a tree, in a fork near an opening with easy access. Sparrowhawks build simple platform nests from twigs which are not lined with soft material. We have watched a pair mating in mid-August though most breeding in Southern Africa takes place between September and February. Until the chicks are old enough to be left alone, the male sparrowhawk does all the hunting, feeding both the young and the female. Then both parents hunt for the juveniles, and they continue to do so for a month or so after the young sparrowhawks have left the nest.

Life starts rapidly in the Little sparrowhawk world. The incubation usually takes about 32 days and only one chick survives from a clutch of two to three eggs. The nestling is fed by its mother and becomes independent after about a month.

Little sparrowhawks are small birds of prey with short, broad wings. Most bird wing shapes can be grouped into four types, which include elliptical wings, high speed wings, high aspect ratio wings and slotted high-lift wings. Elliptical wings are found on bats and most small forest and scrub-dwelling birds. This wing shape allows a high degree of control and manoeuvrability in confined spaces. Elliptical wings are highly slotted between the primary feathers which helps to prevent stalling during sharp turns, low-speed flight, and frequent landing and takeoff.

Sparrowhawks and goshawks are Accipiters and as such are specialised hunters. The Accipiter shape is very distinctive, with short and broad wings with a strongly rounded wing-tip – ideal for rapid manoeuvring in confined spaces. This is the ultimate ambush predator of small birds, relying on surprise and the speed of pursuit.  The shape of the wing is important in determining the flight capabilities of a bird. Different shapes correspond to different trade-offs between advantages such as speed, low energy use, and manoeuvrability.

Two important parameters are the aspect ratio and wing loading. Aspect ratio is the ratio of wingspan to the mean of its chord (or the square of the wingspan divided by wing area). A high aspect ratio signifies long narrow wings which are useful for endurance flight because they generate more lift. Wing loading is the ratio of weight to wing area and determines the capacity for sustained lift and soaring.

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” ~ Stephen McCranie

Wings with a low aspect ratio facilitate rapid takeoff and swift twisting flight, but not for sustained high speed. When not hunting, the flight lacks the aerial mastery of the falcons and appears a little weak with characteristic ‘flap, flap, glide’ pattern. The relatively high wing loading is due to the relatively small wing area to its weight but the weight assists in the mid-air attack.

Many Accipiters hunt and chase songbirds, which are very good at flying fast for short bursts and ducking and dodging through branches. Little sparrowhawks are slender with short, broad, rounded wings and a long tail which helps them manoeuver in flight. The shorter wings make it easier to tuck in and avoid hitting branches, and the roundness still gives them lots of power on the down stroke. They have long legs and long, sharp talons which they use to kill their prey, and a sharp, hooked bill to cut and tear into its prey. The long narrow tail acts like a rudder and steers the bird in and around most obstacles, but it can also be fanned out to act like a third wing.

Sparrowhawks are the sprinters of the raptor family. They are capable of dramatic and fast bursts of speed of up to 50kph, but cannot sustain this speed in a chase. This means ‘spars’ must rely on stealth, speed and surprise to succeed, startling their prey before it has any time to react.

Even when we cannot hear the Little sparrowhawks calling, we often know where they are because of the alarm calls of small birds in the trees in the garden such as Black-capped bulbuls.

It is interesting that these sparrowhawks hunt an area in a similar way to lions. They will hunt in the area daily for a short while and then move away for a period. This prevents over hunting the area and does not give the garden birds enough time to get to know the sparrowhawks pattern of hunting and helps keep the element of surprise.

Whether it is first thing in the morning when we are watching these little “spars” with a cup of hot coffee in hand or dusk with a sundowner it is exciting when these “dashing hunters” come into the garden. The avian dynamics change dramatically and their presence adds dimensions of excitement and wonder spiced with a dose of anticipation.

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” ~ Bruce Lee

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike