Sparrow Hawk - 1949 status

Accipiter nisus nisus

Common resident, breeding in quite small copses and cliff side scrub.  An autumn and winter visitor to the islands.

R.M.Lockley, G.C.S.Ingram, H.M.Salmon, 1949, The Birds of Pembrokeshire, The West Wales Field Society

Sparrowhawk - 2003-07

There has been a clear decrease (23%) in the total number of tetrads in which Sparrowhawks were recorded between the two atlas periods. There was, however, virtually no change in the combined total of confirmed and probable breeding categories with the decrease occurring only in the possible breeding category. It is also notable that despite an overall decrease there were still 74 tetrads where Sparrowhawks were recorded during the later atlas for which there were no records during the 1984-1988 fieldwork. This makes interpretation difficult. It is possible that due to their secretive nature (especially during the incubation period in May and June)  Sparrowhawks were under-recorded in both surveys.

At UK level Sparrowhawks have shown a long term increase, reaching a plateau in the early 1990’s since when they have stabilised. However, in Wales there are insufficient BBS records to obtain a reliable trend (BTO website 2009). In summary, it appears as if there may have been a decline in Pembrokeshire’s breeding Sparrowhawk population but it is difficult to be sure of its extent (if any). Perhaps targeted monitoring with better suited methods is at least worthy of consideration.

An accurate figure for the breeding population is not possible from any fieldwork carried out within the county, but assuming at least 2 pairs per tetrad in which it is recorded then a minimum of 400 pairs occur. The true figure is likely to be higher.

Paddy Jenks

Fieldwork 2003-07 (based on 490 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 23 

Orange = breeding probable = 48

Yellow = breeding possible = 125

Total tetrads in which registered = 196 (40%)

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

Sparrowhawk - 1970s breeding

Red = breeding confirmed

Orange = breeding probable

Yellow = breeding possible

Sparrowhawk - 1980s winter

The BTO winter atlas showed that Sparrowhawks were present in most 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 3 birds seen in a day.

It is likely the highest counts plotted reflected the maximum intensity of observer activity.

Graham Rees 

Sparrowhawk - 1894

Species account from M Mathew, 1894, "The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands"

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