The sparrowhawk is one of our smallest birds of prey. The male is around the size of blackbird and has blue-grey back and wing feathers with orange-brown stripes on the chest and belly. The female is slightly larger than a mistle thrush and is more brown in colour, with brown stripes on the chest and belly.

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Both sexes hunt small birds such as sparrows, tits and finches, although the larger female may also take thrushes, starlings and pigeons. Small mammals are also taken. They're well adapted to hunting birds in confined spaces like woodland, so do well in gardens, where they will easily take a bird from a feeder or tree branch.

In spring, sparrowhawks build a nest of twigs high up in a tree in woodland, parks and larger gardens. The female lays up to five eggs and incubates them for around a month. Both parents feed the chicks the remains of birds and small mammals.

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