Japanese sparrowhawk

Why in news?

The 1^st documented sighting of the Japanese sparrowhawk in mainland India was recently reported from Chennai’s Adyar Estuary, marking a significant addition to India’s ornithological records.

• It is a small raptor native to East Asia, known for its compact size, rounded wings, and finely barred underparts.
• Scientific name – Tachyspiza gularis
• Family – Accipitridae
• Distribution – Breeding range - East Asia (Japan, Korea, eastern China, parts of Russia) & Wintering range - Southeast Asia (Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand).
  • In India – Previously recorded in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, but never before on the mainland.

Key Features

• Size – 23–30 cm in length; smaller than the Eurasian sparrowhawk, males are typically smaller than females.
• Plumage – Males have a blue-grey back and rufous bars on their underparts, while females and juveniles are browner with dark barring on their underparts.

• Habitat – They are often found in forests, woodlands, forest edges and even suburban areas  and open fields.
• Flight – Agile, with rounded wings and shorter tail, adapted for forest hunting.
• Diet – Primarily feeds on small forest songbirds, with occasional consumption of medium-sized birds, small mammals, reptiles, and insects.
• Conservation Status – 
  • IUCN – Least Concern.
• Threats – Include habitat loss driven by logging and agricultural expansion.

References

1. The Hindu | 1^st documented sighting of Japanese sparrowhawk
2. Birds of Singapore | Japanese sparrowhawk
3. Birdlife | Japanese sparrowhawk