Scientific name:
Accipiter nisus

Natural spread:
Europe, Africa, Asia

Sperber resembles the hawk (Accipiter gentilis) largely in its habits and also in the Habitus; they are 38 cm of total-length the "reduced edition" of this agile bird-hunter (hawks) with maximum so to speak. Also Sperber hunt in the alternation - and cover-hands terrains of the forested areas of Europe, North-Africa and Asia (southwards as far as to the Himalaya and eastward until East-Siberia and Japan). they seize smaller birds, with what the surprise-effect and a short, fast chase form the typical hunt-method, from the Pirschflug out.

Shape and loot Male Sperber (weight 100-165 g) carry off Singvögel mainly until the size of a throttle (approximately until 15 g substances), while that more frequently clearly more powerful females (approximately tower-falcon-size, weight 190-310 g) also bigger loot-animals like Z. B. Jays, deaf persons and from time to time even Bläßhühner or crows beats. The heaviest known loot-animals of Sperberweibchen weigh 350-500 g.

The appearance of a Sperbers causes vehement excitement with potential loot-animals - therefore smaller birds -. Birds are over 90 percent of all beaten animals; only rarely, Sperber catch small-mammals also once.

Brood-biology Sperber become usually already in the 1. Year of life sexually mature and frequently lives together in duration-marriage; however also more frequently is familiar changing brood-partners. According to spread-area, Sperber are stand, line, and migratory birds; in Central Europe, Sperber hike only irregularly and over short routes.

Sperber nest mainly on conifers (spruces, jaws), beeches etc. in Mischwäldern, but also in high bushes and thickets. The nest-construction begins already middle of February. The brood-period begins against end April until May. The female alone erbrütet for 33-35 days the nest existing from 4 -6 eggs (Legeabstand 2-3 days) brood-beginning usually from 2. or 3. Ah, and is fed (geatzt) by the male partner meanwhile. Carrying the slipping boys whitens, short and thin Dunen, that later it against a second denser above and brownish until reddish colored Dunenkleid replaces.

Feeds initially and hudert only the female (4 for -5 days), while later both alto-birds along-manage food for the boys. These finally become fully-fledged in the age of 24 -30 days, still comes back to the eyrie initially in the evening, however. Only with approximately 35 days, young Sperber follow its parents in the family-association and finally become independently in the age of 6 weeks.