Japanese sparrowhawk

Japanese sparrowhawk
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Accipiter
Species: A. gularis
Binomial name
Accipiter gularis
(Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)

The Japanese sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.

It breeds in China, Japan, Korea and Siberia; winters in Indonesia and Philippines, passing through the rest of South-east Asia. It is a bird of open and wooded areas.

Description

It is 23–30 cm in length, with the female larger than the male. The male has dark barred underwings, lightly barred underparts, dark grey upperparts and red eyes. Female has yellow eyes and dark barred underparts. Juvenile has brown upperparts and streaks on breast.

It feeds on smaller birds taken in flight.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Accipiter gularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

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