The Collared Sparrowhawk

Delicate yet lethal.

A frantic burst of wings from my backyard could mean only one thing: a predator had arrived.

Looking through the kitchen window, I watched sparrows, spotted doves, crested pigeons and noisy miners suddenly scatter in every direction. These familiar visitors often startle easily, but this was different. Their hurried escape suggested that they feared for their lives.

I stepped outside to investigate and immediately discovered the reason.

Sitting quietly on a branch of my apple tree was a Collared Sparrowhawk, a small but deadly bird of prey. It appeared completely at ease, almost as though the confusion it had caused had nothing to do with it.

The Collared Sparrowhawk is a finely built raptor measuring between 30 and 40 centimetres in length. Its slate-grey head and wings, chestnut collar, barred reddish-brown and cream chest, and bright yellow eyes give it a handsome appearance. Long, thin yellow legs and a narrow body add to its delicate look.

Yet there is nothing delicate about the way it hunts.

Collared Sparrowhawks specialise in catching small birds. They often wait quietly within the cover of trees or shrubs before suddenly darting out at great speed. Their short, rounded wings allow them to move quickly between branches, while their long tail helps them change direction during pursuit. They may also chase and seize birds in flight.

One of their most distinctive features is an unusually long middle toe, which they use to grasp struggling prey. It was clearly visible as my visitor held firmly to the apple-tree branch.

The bird showed little concern as I hurried to collect my camera equipment. My enthusiasm must have resembled that of a schoolboy who had unexpectedly discovered a dinosaur in the garden.

In a sense, perhaps I had.

The sparrowhawk remained still while I adjusted the camera and moved carefully into position. Occasionally, it turned its head and fixed me with its wide yellow eyes. The stare was direct and unsettling, as though it were measuring whether I represented a threat.

There was no panic in its movements. It appeared alert, confident, and completely in control.

Collared Sparrowhawks are widely distributed across mainland Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. They inhabit forests and woodlands but can also appear in suburbs and other settled areas where trees and shrubs provide cover for hunting. Although widespread, they are uncommon and can easily remain unnoticed when sitting quietly among foliage.

Their presence in suburban Melbourne is understandable. Backyards containing trees, bird feeders, and flowering plants attract sparrows, doves, honeyeaters, and other small birds. These gatherings occasionally attract the predators that hunt them.

Observers frequently mistake the Collared Sparrowhawk for the Brown Goshawk. A brief observation reveals that the two species have comparable colours and markings. In contrast, sparrowhawks typically possess thinner legs, a longer central toe, a slenderer physique, and a tail that seems either square-ended or subtly indented. The Brown Goshawk is more solidly built and has a heavier brow above the eyes.

Male and female Collared Sparrowhawks look similar, although the female is noticeably larger. This difference in size is common among many birds of prey and allows the two sexes to pursue prey of different sizes.

As Sir David Attenborough observed:
“Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?”

My charismatic visitor eventually tired of my attention. Without warning, it left the branch and disappeared beyond the neighbouring gardens, perhaps searching for another place to wait, or its next meal.

The entire encounter lasted only a short time, but it changed the familiar character of my backyard. A place normally filled with the relaxed calls and movements of small birds had briefly become the hunting ground of an agile predator.

The Collared Sparrowhawk is a reminder that nature continues to live beside us, even within the suburbs. We do not always need to travel into forests or national parks to experience the wild.

Sometimes it lands quietly in an apple tree.

Click to view the complete Collard Sparrowhawk image gallery.

All images, text and content are copyright Steven Sklifas.