sparrowhawk

sparrow hawk n.

1. A small hawk (Accipter nisus) of Europe, Africa, and central Asia that has short, broad wings and preys on sparrows and other small birds.

2. A small North American falcon (Falco sparverius) that hovers over fields and pastures, feeding chiefly on insects and mice. Also called American kestrel.

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▪ hawk group

 any of various small birds of prey usually of the genus Accipiter (family Accipitridae), classified with the goshawks as “accipiters,” or true hawks. They eat small birds such as sparrows, small mammals, and insects.

      The African little sparrowhawk (A. minullus), slate gray above with white tail bars, barred white below, inhabits woods of East and South Africa. The Eurasian sparrowhawk (A. nisus), dark gray above and brown barred white below, is a common inhabitant of wooded areas throughout Europe, in coastal northwestern Africa, and in temperate to sub-Arctic forests of Asia. The Levant sparrowhawk, or shikra (A. brevipes), is gray above and brown barred white below. It occurs from southeastern Europe throughout most of continental southern Asia and subequatorial Africa. For the small falcon called sparrow hawk in the United States, see kestrel.

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