Sparrowhawk victim.

Scrappychimow

I walked out to my back garden today to find a pile of pigeon feathers in the grass,it looks like a sparrowhawk has paid a visit.

Is it likely the sparrowhawk will return if he/she knows birds hang out in my garden?I live in an urban area..

jmkennedyie

If Sparrowhawk in the area they could swing by anytime - impossible to tell.
If you have a feeder with frequent small birds then he/she might alter their regular patrol route to flyby just in case.

If you are concerned about their presence, don't be. Its a good sign: the local bird population is healthy enough to support a bird at the top of the food chain, and there is enough suitable habitat to allow sparrowhawk hunt and nest. Cats are a much bigger problem.

If you want to see more of the sparrowhawk, listen out for crows, starlings, swallows etc. giving out stink over the next few weeks: they might be mobbing a sparrowhawk or kestrel.

swifts need our help!

jmkennedyie wrote: »

Its a good sign: the local bird population is healthy enough to support a bird at the top of the food chain, and there is enough suitable habitat to allow sparrowhawk hunt and nest. Cats are a much bigger problem.

well said!

Mark

Scrappychimow

jmkennedyie wrote: »

If Sparrowhawk in the area they could swing by anytime - impossible to tell.
If you have a feeder with frequent small birds then he/she might alter their regular patrol route to flyby just in case.

If you are concerned about their presence, don't be. Its a good sign: the local bird population is healthy enough to support a bird at the top of the food chain, and there is enough suitable habitat to allow sparrowhawk hunt and nest. Cats are a much bigger problem.

If you want to see more of the sparrowhawk, listen out for crows, starlings, swallows etc. giving out stink over the next few weeks: they might be mobbing a sparrowhawk or kestrel.

Yeah I do have a feeder out,sparrows,blue tits and starlings come everyday,
I also have a few regular pigeons that I like,and a Jackdaw that comes each day-so I would rather the sparrowhawk would eat somewhere else

What happenings when they mob the sparrowhawk ,do they team up and fight it? Would a sparrowhawk go for a rook or jackdaw?

swifts need our help!

females go for pigeons and doves - dont know about corvids
males go for small birds

alarm calls are long drawn our seeeep by blackbirds, thrushes and robins. Swallows and starlins have a quick fire chattering panic call that I cant describe properly. These two fly up to meet sparrowhawks and escort them out of their area.

Corvids and gulls dive bomb them

mgwhelan

theres a few videos on youtube of sparrowhalks killing magpies so jackdaw would be taken as well ya would think.

swifts need our help!

I forgot about those videos

swifts need our help!

swallow alarm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8wtaEauhh0

Birdnuts

Scrappychimow wrote: »

Yeah I do have a feeder out,sparrows,blue tits and starlings come everyday,
I also have a few regular pigeons that I like,and a Jackdaw that comes each day-so I would rather the sparrowhawk would eat somewhere else

Its simply the balance of nature - don't take it personally;)

Scrappychimow

Birdnuts wrote: »

Its simply the balance of nature - don't take it personally;)

What are you talking about? I know its nature- but I dont want the evil thing eating my resident birds.
Its common sense.

CJhaughey

Scrappychimow wrote: »

What are you talking about? I know its nature- but I dont want the evil thing eating my resident birds.
Its common sense.

Calling a bird of prey evil is not rational. The bird has to eat to live, if it doesn't eat it dies of starvation.
It bears no malice towards you or the prey birds, they are simply fuel.

Mothman

Scrappychimow wrote: »

What are you talking about? I know its nature- but I dont want the evil thing eating my resident birds.
Its common sense.

The vast bulk of visitors here to this forum do not consider Sparrowhawks evil and it IS another one of your resident birds

cfitz

Scrappychimow wrote: »

What are you talking about? I know its nature- but I dont want the evil thing eating my resident birds.
Its common sense.

Is every non-vegetarian animal evil? How do you feel about a blackbird eating a worm? Or a man who eats a fish?

Mothman

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