.jpg "Red Kite Photo: By Thomas Kraft (ThKraft) - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1568002")
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Predatory garden birds
Most garden birds are predatory to some extent, if only when collecting caterpillars to feed their chicks, but in this case we mean full-time large predators of other birds and small mammals. There are only three such birds that are common enough in gardens to be covered here - although if you have a pond you may well find a heron coming in to check out the fish and frogs.
They are not very closely related. The sparrowhawk and red kite are in the family Accipitridae (with eagles and vultures), while the tawny owl is in the Strigidae and a different avian order. Nevertheless, they all have marked differences in size between the sexes. The females are much larger - especially in the sparrowhawk, and it is thought this means they can concentrate on different prey and avoid competition for food. Females can tackle larger prey, while the males are more agile and better at catching smaller fast-moving prey.
You are not likely to confuse these three species, but the comparative flight silhouettes for sparrowhawk and red kite are useful.
Click on the images below to go to the page for each species
33-37cm
63cm
38cm
Wingspan 62cm
Wingspan 1.85m
Sparrowhawk
Broad rounded wings, wedge tail, fast flight
Red Kite
Big, long angled wings, deep forked tail, soaring flight
Sparrowhawk
Grey back, barred underparts male red flush, female has white stripe above the eye
Red Kite
Big, rusty red barred plumage, whiter head.
Tawny owl
Hunched appearance, round head. Brown flecked with light face mask around eyes
Predatory garden birds
Most garden birds are predatory to some extent, if only when collecting caterpillars to feed their chicks, but in this case we mean full-time large predators of other birds and small mammals. There are only three such birds that are common enough in gardens to be covered here - although if you have a pond you may well find a heron coming in to check out the fish and frogs.
They are not very closely related. The sparrowhawk and red kite are in the family Accipitridae (with eagles and vultures), while the tawny owl is in the Strigidae and a different avian order. Nevertheless, they all have marked differences in size between the sexes. The females are much larger - especially in the sparrowhawk, and it is thought this means they can concentrate on different prey and avoid competition for food. Females can tackle larger prey, while the males are more agile and better at catching smaller fast-moving prey.
You are not likely to confuse these three species, but the comparative flight silhouettes for sparrowhawk and red kite are useful.
Click on the images below to go to the page for each species
Sparrowhawk
Grey back, barred underparts male red flush, female has white stripe above the eye
Red Kite
Big, rusty red barred plumage, whiter head.
Tawny owl
Hunched appearance, round head. Brown flecked with light face mask around eyes
33-37cm
63cm
38cm
Wingspan 62cm
Wingspan 1.85m
Sparrowhawk
Broad rounded wings, wedge tail, fast flight
Red Kite
Big, long angled wings, deep forked tail, soaring flight