sparrow hawk

1. See kestrel.

2. or spar·row·hawk (spăr′ō-hôk′) Any of several small hawks that have short, broad wings and prey on sparrows and other small birds, especially the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sparrow hawk

(Animals) a very small North American falcon, Falco sparverius, that is closely related to the kestrels

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spar′row hawk`

a small, short-winged Eurasian hawk, Accipiter nisus, that preys on smaller birds.

[1400–50]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	sparrow hawk - small North American falcon American kestrel, Falco sparverius, kestrel falcon - diurnal birds of prey having long pointed powerful wings adapted for swift flight Falco, genus Falco - a genus of Falconidae
	2.	sparrow hawk - small hawk of Eurasia and northern Africa Accipiter nisus hawk - diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail Accipiter, genus Accipiter - type genus of the family Accipitridae

Translations

krahujec obecnýpoštolka pestrá

Sperber

ξεφτέρι

gavilán

raudkull

amerikantuulihaukkavarpushaukka

épervier

karvaly

sparrhaukur

sparviero

accipiter

paukštvanagis

sperwer

skobec

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

There were sparrow hawks, with white breasts, and kestrels, and down the slopes scampered, with their long legs, several fine fat bustards.

View in context

The misfortune is great; but I think you have still a good number of falcons, sparrow hawks, and tiercets."

View in context

A spokesperson for the Scottish SPCA said:"We took an injured sparrow hawk to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Probe after sparrowhawk is shot down and killed

The "Sparrow Hawk" is the only falcon that lives in the Midwest.

Swift, quiet and efficient hunters are birds of prey

"One, an African black sparrow Hawk, was damaged and leaking egg white.

The smuggler caught with 19 bird eggs strapped to his body at Heathrow Airport; Five of the rare bird eggs strapped to Jeffrey Lendrum could have been worth [pounds sterling]5,000 each

A sparrow hawk in the back garden of Ian Whitham, of Marske

YOUR PICTURES

She said professional bird trappers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Punjab and Attock district hunt laggar falcon, common kestrel, sparrow hawk and peregrine falcon and sold them for Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 to foreigners.

Four trappers caught with falcons in Hazro

The eggs included those of an African fish eagle, an African sparrow hawk and a vulture.

Man accused of smuggling eagles' eggs

All sorts of birds, including a sparrow hawk and mallard ducks, will be there, along with butterflies and all sorts of bugs.

Let's get back to nature

Ian Leslie of Barnton Road, Dumfries, provided this stunning snap of a Sparrow Hawk.

Capturing wildlife

For example in the Netherlands, the Eurasian sparrow hawk has been late for dinner because its prey, the blue tit, has -- over 16 years -- arrived almost six days earlier than the hawk.

Global warming is mixing up nature's dinner time, study shows

It has unfortunately attracted a sparrow hawk who sees them all as potential food.

Songbirds have found a welcome in my garden