Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

Abstract

The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a partial migrant, travelling mainly on short to medium distances. It is sedentary in Europe, apart the Scandinavian region, where it is a summer visitor. It migrates using a mixed flight strategy of soaring-gliding and flapping flight modes. It is a fly-andforage migrant, hunting small resident and migratory birds. The most remarkable counts are localized in North Europe, as well as in Central- and South-European mountain passes and at barrier-crossing sites, such as the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bosphorus. Furthermore, ring recoveries data helped us to understand the main migratory directions from Scandinavia and North Europe towards Central, South-West Europe, and Africa. Some individuals migrate to Northern Africa and a very small proportion even to sub-Saharan Africa. Future studies with the support of satellite tracking are needed to expand our knowledge of the migration of the Eurasian sparrowhawk.