Can anyone help please?

[fruitgums]

Can anyone help me identify this bird that landed on my hedge yesterday?http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g99/fruitgums_photos/bird14.jpg

[Nicola]

Hi Fruitgums, sorry for the late reply, the bird we have here is a beautiful male Sparrowhawk. Note the reddish-brown throat and breast whereas the female is greyer and much larger. Regards, Nicola.

[fruitgums]

Thanks Nicola for letting me know, This bird isn't common round here so I was at a loss

[Jenny]

You're lucky to see one and good photo. We have plenty of sparrowhawks but rarely catch glimpse of the male. My regular female is having a field day at present - forget the chaffinches - she's demolished 4 of my collared dove visitors and a feral pigeon in the last week!

[fruitgums]

Sounds like she's building herself up for some future young.
I think this male may be a newbie around my home, It will be slim pickings for him here, There is a large family of magpies around these parts that have ruled the neighbourhood for years.

[Nicola]

Jenny I also regularly see the female Sparrowhawk flying around my neighbourhood and have only once seen a male in the town. I have often wondered why this is? Maybe the females prefer to hunt around the town gardens? We had a pair of Sparrowhawks nest in a scots pine not far from our house last year and I remember them doing their display flights around the wood which was great to watch! I'm hoping they nest again this year. Regards, Nicola.

[Jenny]

Fruitgums - we don't have magpies, but when I lived down sarf the female sparrowhawk would terrorize the magpies. Wonder if yours is looking for a territory - so envious that you've seen a male! You could be right - the female has nobbled another pigeon today - missed it but you can't mistake the plucking - this is no cat attack! Actually the neighbourhood's dominant tom cat is dead wary - he dives for cover when she's around!

Nicola, you are so lucky to have seen displays - have only caught them once and that wasn't local. However "my" female can't be too far away - she's far too frequent a visitor and if she kills in the morning during the breeding season she can be back for late pm feeding time. Jenny

[fruitgums]

I have found a good amount of feathers near my front door, so maybe the male has taken up residence. I live in the north west of England and was surprised of the sighting, when you told me what he was.
Are these birds common to the whole of the UK?
Are there large or small numbers of these birds in the UK?
I am sorry to sound so thick but I never spotteed one of these before.and no nothing about them apart from they eat other birds!

[PiratesAhoy!]

You generally don't see them too often in towns or cities, but I believe the species is doing quite well.

We had two females here for a while. I would describe our location as "edge of town". There are fields not far away, and some forested sections. That's where I believe they live, but they visit our garden due to the ease with which they can grab a passing starling or collared dove. The doves are a particularly east catch for them, as they stuff themselves with peanuts, then sit in the pine tree and sleep them off. The hawk then comes along and it's like a deli counter at a supermarket!

They're one of the more adaptable raptors.

That said, our two were effectively hounded out of town by the new crows on the block - a pair of really big crows have set up shop in the willow tree in our neighbour's garden, and have been seen mobbing the sparrowhawks. They have not been back as regularly since then. In a way I'm relieved, as it's coming up to baby starling time, and I want our flock to do well. They have enough problems with cats.