Where do sparrowhawks nest?
Sparrowhawk · Accipiter nisus
Sparrowhawks nest in woodland, building a broad, flat platform of sticks in a tree, tucked in close to the trunk. They prefer conifers but use mixed and broadleaved woods, copses and shelterbelts too. They hunt in gardens far more often than they nest in them. Eggs go in during May, and they raise one brood a year.
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- Where
- Close to the trunk of a tree in a wood or copse, often a conifer
- Nest
- A flat platform of sticks, lined with bark flakes
- When
- April to July, first eggs usually in May
- Eggs
- Usually 4 or 5, kept warm by the female for about 33 days
- Broods
- One
- Fledging
- About 4 weeks after hatching
- Status
- Amber list: numbers have fallen since the 1990s
Where sparrowhawks nest
In a wood, usually not far from a ride or a clearing, in a tree with branches that will hold a nest close against the trunk. Conifers are the favourite, but mixed and broadleaved woodland, small copses and shelterbelts between fields all get used.
So the sparrowhawk you see flash across your garden and scatter the bird table almost certainly lives somewhere else. Gardens are hunting ground. A big garden with mature trees might occasionally hold a nest, but most are in proper woodland.
What a sparrowhawk’s nest looks like
A wide, fairly flat platform of sticks, often built on top of an old woodpigeon nest. Just before the eggs are laid it is lined with flakes of bark and fine twigs. The BTO notes that building is slow, done mostly in the mornings, and can take around a month.
Pairs usually build a new nest each year, often within about 100 metres of the last one, so an old nest in a wood is a good sign there is a new one nearby.
When sparrowhawks nest
Late. Most eggs are laid in May, later than most garden birds, and that is the point: the chicks are hungriest when young songbirds are everywhere and easiest to catch.
There are usually four or five eggs. The female sits on them for about 33 days while the male does the hunting for both of them, and then for the chicks as well. The female is far bigger than the male, one of the biggest size differences of any bird of prey, and they take different prey: she can manage a pigeon, he keeps to tits and finches. The young leave the nest at about four weeks old.
How to help sparrowhawks
There is no sparrowhawk nest box, and honestly a garden cannot do much for where they nest. What helps is bigger than one garden:
- Keep woods and copses. Mature trees, shelterbelts and small woods are where the nests are.
- Look after the small birds. A garden full of healthy songbirds is a garden that can feed a sparrowhawk. Clean feeders help stop disease spreading among them.
- Report persecution. Shooting, trapping or poisoning a sparrowhawk is a crime, and the RSPB says it still happens. Report anything suspicious to the police.
Checked against: RSPB: Sparrowhawk, BTO BirdFacts: Sparrowhawk. Last checked 8 November 2026.
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Questions
Do sparrowhawks nest in gardens?
Rarely. They hunt in gardens but nest in woods and copses. Only a large garden with mature trees is likely to hold a nest.
When do sparrowhawks nest?
Later than most birds. Eggs usually go in during May, so the chicks are in the nest when young songbirds are plentiful.
Do sparrowhawks use the same nest every year?
Usually not. They tend to build a new nest each year, often within about 100 metres of the old one.
Are sparrowhawks protected?
Yes. Like all wild birds, the birds, their nests and their eggs are protected by law, and killing one is a crime.
