Sparrowhawk - 1994

Breeding resident

The Sparrowhawk has always been a common resident according to both Mathew (1894) and Lockley et al. (1949). Landowners waged ineffective war against them, Lloyd noting a gibbet at Slebech with ten corpses strung on it in September 1930. The Breeding Birds Survey of 1984-1988 indicated that it remains widespread, though confirmed breeding records are few since the nests are notoriously difficult to locate. Judging from well-watched areas, the average density is two to four pairs per tetrad and hence the county total would be about 500 to 1,000 pairs. All the nests recorded were in trees, those in the most open terrain being placed in low willows and hawthorns. Sparrowhawks have nested on Caldey (1984), and Ramsey (Saunders 1976), but have only been recorded as visitors to offshore islands in recent times.

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 37

Orange = breeding probable = 36

Yellow = breeding possible = 185

Total tetrads in which registered = 258 (54%)

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire