The Chinese sparrowhawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.
Region
East and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds from eastern China through the Korean Peninsula and parts of Japan, with passage across Taiwan and coastal East Asia. Winters mainly in the Philippines, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Malay Peninsula, and parts of Indochina. It favors forest edges, secondary woodlands, riverine groves, and nearby agricultural mosaics. During migration it concentrates along ridgelines and coastal promontories where updrafts assist soaring.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small Accipiter, the Chinese sparrowhawk breeds in East Asia and migrates in large, conspicuous flocks to Southeast Asia for the winter. Adult males show striking red irises, while females have yellow eyes. During migration, thousands can be seen passing coastal headlands and mountain ridges. It often hunts insects on the wing, especially cicadas and dragonflies in the non-breeding season.
Temperament
alert and agile
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, nesting in trees and likely forming monogamous pairs. Clutch size is small, and both parents contribute to care. Outside breeding, it can gather into large migratory flocks, sometimes with other raptors.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are sharp, high-pitched kek-kek or ki-ki-ki calls, especially near the nest. Generally quiet on migration and at wintering grounds, calling mainly when alarmed or during courtship.
Plumage
Adult male slate-grey above with clean white underparts and rufous wash on the underwing coverts; female greyer-brown above with faint barring or streaking below; juveniles browner with bold streaked underparts.
Diet
Takes small birds, frogs, and lizards, and readily consumes large insects such as cicadas and dragonflies. On wintering grounds it may switch largely to insect prey captured in flight. It occasionally snatches prey from foliage or the ground after short, rapid dashes from cover.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along forest edges, clearings, and wooded farmlands where perches are abundant. Also forages over rivers, plantations, and village groves, using concealed perches to ambush prey or sallying flights to catch insects.
