Diet of Eurasian sparrowhawks in a northwest Iberian hedgerow habitat throughout the year

Abstract

Little is known about Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus feeding habits outside the breeding season in its wide geographical range. The present study concerns the autumn-winter and spring-summer diet of this raptor species in Northwest Spain in a hedgerow habitat. A total of 23 avian prey species were recorded, only six of which occurred in both periods of the year. However, Eurasian Sparrowhawks fed mainly on medium-sized birds that often forage on the ground at some distance from shrubs and trees, mostly the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos and the Common Blackbird Turdus merula, both species together accounting for approximately half of the prey in any season of the year. The contribution of larger birds, i.e., pigeons, was considerable in terms of ingested biomass. In spring-summer, the mean body weight of avian prey was over 15 g less than in autumn-winter.