One of UK's smallest birds of prey spotted near market town street


One of UK's smallest birds of prey spotted near market town street

According to the birdwatching site, goingbirding.co.uk, a sparrow hawk was spotted by C. Lamonby by the River Lugg near Leominster's Bridge Street on September 19.

According to the RSPB, sparrow hawks have a T-shaped silhouette whilst in flight, and a distinctive "flap-flap-glide" flight pattern.

Sparrowhawk numbers "plummeted" during the 1950s and 60s, which the RSPB believes was the result of the use of organochloride pesticides.

"These chemicals built up in the food chain and resulted in the shells of Sparrowhawk eggs becoming very thin and prone to breaking during incubation," they said.

"After these pesticides were banned, Sparrowhawk numbers recovered.

"However, between 1995 and 2023, Sparrowhawks declined by 25 per cent and they now feature on the Birds of Conservation Concern Amber List."

The birds are "fast and agile", often hunting by surprise; they can be so quick that their presence may only be recognised by alarm calls, and a "sudden scattering" of birds.

The Woodland Trust describes the birds as "small but skilled" predators, with distinguishable yellow eyes and long talons.

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Female sparrowhawks can be significantly larger than their male counterparts, sometimes by as much as 25 per cent.

The bird's diet tends to consist of small birds, including thrushes, sparrows, finches, and occasionally a pigeon.

The British Trust of Ornithology say that although sparrowhawks are primarlarly a woodland species, they will come into close contact with people when preying on garden bird feeders for an easy meal.

Describing the species, the trust says: "Sparrowhawks are widespread across Britain and Ireland, with a population that has completely recovered from a deep decline caused by the use of organochlorine pesticides in the 1950s and 1960s.

Sparrowhawks avoid northern Scottish uplands and offshore islands. Elsewhere they are a common sight, even over towns, where their flapping flight interspersed with glides and classic raptor silhouette can be seen by eyes alert to the skies.

Across lowland England sparrowhawks prefer varied woodland landscapes and use hedges as cover for their dashing strikes to secure their small bird prey."

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