What's The Smallest Hawk In The Uk?

[sandyRoe]

A flock of sparrows were at a bird feeder in the garden this morning when a hawk swooped and tried to grab one out of the air. It missed. It wasn't a big bird and I only saw it for a second or so.

[ToraToraTora]

Probably a Merlin or a Hobby.

[sunny-dave]

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

35,000 pairs, status green (UK) least concern (Europe, global)

The smallest hawk: the hen resembles the goshawk, but the blue-backed cock is tiny by comparison. Both have distinct barring on the chest, the cocks being adorned with a rusty red. It frequents woodland and terrorises garden birds, recording up to 120 species in its diet.

[MissTerious]

A Kestrel I would think.

[aelmpvw]

merlin?

[MissTerious]

Or a SparrowHawk (which is bigger)

[Gill1941]

I agree with sunny dave.
A male sparrowhawk (the name says it all) I've had them taking birds from my garden several times over the years.
Male quite a bit smaller than female.

[Gill1941]

Negligible difference in size of sparrowhawk and kestrel.

[Gromit]

That would be a Sparrow Hawk, but that isn’t the UKs smallest bird of prey.

[sandyRoe]

I've also got Wood Pigeons visiting the garden. But a small hawk attacking them would be like a cat attacking an elephant.

[roopower]

I live on the edge of a large town and have had a sparrowhawk take a bird of the feeders twice. Second time I actually saw it under a bush merrily plucking the poor little long tailed tit.

[barry1010]

I watched my neighbour shoot a woodpigeon (when it was legal and you didn't need a licence) and a sparrowhawk grabbed it before it hit the ground. It is fascinating to watch a sparrowhawk chasing birds through woodland.
They very often sit on my fence or in my garden to eat their prey, they leave a heap of feathers behind