Japanese Sparrowhawk

A small hawk with a high-pitched voice.

Scientific name	Accipiter gularis
English name	Japanese Sparrowhawk
Japanese name	雀鷹
Class	Aves
Order	Accipitriformes
Family	Accipitridae
Genus	Accipiter
Species	gularis
Full length	Male 27cm, Female 30cm
Distribution	Summer visitor north of Kyushu

Japanese Sparrowhawk Characteristics and Morphology

The smallest hawk in Japan, only about the size of a Laughing Dove. Males and females differ in size and color.
Has yellow eye-ring and base of the bill. The iris is red. White belly with brown horizontal stripes. Legs are yellow.

Male

Slightly smaller than the female.
Back is bluish-black. Belly is slightly orange.

Female

Slightly larger than the male.
Back is lighter gray compared to the male. Belly has brown horizontal stripes.

Song

During the breeding season, they make high-pitched sounds such as "kee-kee" and "pyou-pyou." They often call when flying or when perched on a tree, plucking their prey.

Japanese Sparrowhawk Ecology

Habitat

Inhabits forests in plains and mountains. Nests are also seen in street trees near urban areas.

Food

Feeds on small birds such as sparrows and starlings, as well as insects.

Life Cycle

They act in pairs and migrate to Japan from around spring to breed. They build nests in trees, lay eggs, and feed the chicks every ten minutes or so after they hatch.

Japanese Sparrowhawk Photos

Japanese Sparrowhawk Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

This is a male with a bluish-black back.

This is a young bird peeking out of the nest.

It caught a small bird and was plucking its feathers.

Japanese Sparrowhawk Behavior

May fight with crows while raising their young.

Japanese Sparrowhawk Information

Naming

The scientific name "gularis" means "of the throat," referring to the lines that appear vertically on the throat. The kanji notation is "雀鷹" (Sparrowhawk).

Japanese Sparrowhawk Found Locations

Park in Hachiōji

I found a nesting pair in Hachiōji. There was a female Japanese Sparrowhawk chasing crows away while making loud noises. After observing for a while, I saw it catching prey at intervals of about ten minutes, perching on a branch to remove the feathers, and then feeding it to the chicks in the nest. There were two chicks on the day I observed.

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