The Levant sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey. It measures 32–38 cm (13–15 in) in length with a wingspan of 65–75 cm (26–30 in). The female is larger than the male, but the difference is not as marked as with Eurasian sparrowhawk. The adult male is blue-grey above, with dark wingtips, and barred reddish below.
Region
Eastern Europe, the Near East, and East to Southern Africa (wintering)
Typical Environment
Breeds from the Balkans and Ukraine through Turkey and the Caucasus into western Asia, favoring open woodlands, riverine forests, and orchards. Migrates south through the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East along the Levant flyway. Winters mainly in East and Southern Africa where it uses savanna, woodland edges, and cultivated areas. Avoids dense, unbroken forest but readily hunts along clearings and edges. Often seen soaring in flocks on migration.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Large numbers funnel through the Levant flyway during migration, with spectacular passage visible over Israel each autumn. Unlike many sparrowhawks, it often forms loose breeding colonies. On migration it frequently switches to catching large insects like dragonflies in the open. Sexes are similar, but the male shows richer rufous barring below and darker wingtips in flight.
A juvenile Levant Sparrowhawk in Topeiros, Greece
Accipiter brevipes - MHNT
Temperament
solitary and territorial during breeding; gregarious on migration
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides; soars and kettles on migration
Social Behavior
Typically nests in small, loose colonies or nearby pairs in suitable woodland, with the nest placed in trees. Courtship includes aerial displays and calling. Both parents attend the young, with the male provisioning much of the food early in the nesting period.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet away from the nest; voice includes sharp, repeated kek-kek alarm calls and higher-pitched whistles during courtship. Calls are most frequent near the breeding territory.
