Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis Scientific name definitions

25–35 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male 106–140 g, female 125–204 g (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 2 DeCandido, R., Nualsri, C., Siponen, M., Sutasha, K., Pierce, A., Murray, J. and Round, P.D. (2014). Flight identification and plumage descriptions of six Accipiter species on southbound migration at Khao Dinsor, Chumpon province, Thailand. BirdingASIA. 21: 52–62. Close ); wingspan 52–62 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Smallish Accipiter with long wings, proportionately short tail and heavy bill (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) that resembles A. badius, but more slate-coloured above and lacks dark tip to tail; throat white with dark shaft-streaks, underparts and underwing-coverts tinged pale rufous (intensity individually variable (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ), rather than barred; belly and undertail-coverts whitish; white patches on underwing . Also recalls A. brevipes and A. trinonatus, but differs in pattern and coloration of underparts and tail. Cere, legs and feet generally bright orange-yellow (duller yellow or greenish-tinged in juvenile (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ), while iris colour varies from dark brown to dark red in male (always yellow-grey to lemon-yellow in juvenile (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ), with dark grey orbital ring (2 DeCandido, R., Nualsri, C., Siponen, M., Sutasha, K., Pierce, A., Murray, J. and Round, P.D. (2014). Flight identification and plumage descriptions of six Accipiter species on southbound migration at Khao Dinsor, Chumpon province, Thailand. BirdingASIA. 21: 52–62. Close ). Female only slightly larger (by up to 23% (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ), browner above (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) with somewhat more apparent barring on breast and flanks (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) washed orange (as opposed to pinkish in male), and paler more yellow eyes (2 DeCandido, R., Nualsri, C., Siponen, M., Sutasha, K., Pierce, A., Murray, J. and Round, P.D. (2014). Flight identification and plumage descriptions of six Accipiter species on southbound migration at Khao Dinsor, Chumpon province, Thailand. BirdingASIA. 21: 52–62. Close ). Juvenile dark brown above, with more slate-coloured crown (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), occasionally prominent mesial stripe (typically absent or indistinct in adult) and sometimes lemon-yellow (rather than yellow) irides (2 DeCandido, R., Nualsri, C., Siponen, M., Sutasha, K., Pierce, A., Murray, J. and Round, P.D. (2014). Flight identification and plumage descriptions of six Accipiter species on southbound migration at Khao Dinsor, Chumpon province, Thailand. BirdingASIA. 21: 52–62. Close ), darker than juvenile A. badius; underparts densely marked, rufous barring on flanks ; achieves adult plumage following first moult (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Russian Far East (S Ussuriland) and Korea; C & E China. Winters from extreme SE China, S through Borneo, Philippines and Sulawesi to N Moluccas and W Lesser Sundas (E to Flores), rarely W New Guinea and W Micronesia.

Forests and wooded areas, including plantations (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), often near paddyfields or wetlands, where most of prey can be found. Recorded from sea level to 1500 m, but mainly below 1000 m (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Almost completely migratory, although sedentary in Taiwan. Some birds winter in SE China, in Guangdong and on Hainan; most move farther S, reaching Indochina, peninsular Malaysia, Philippines, Greater and Lesser Sundas, Sulawesi and New Guinea as far E as Kimaam (4 Germi, F., Salim, A. and Minganti, A. (2013). First records of Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis wintering in Papua (Indonesian New Guinea). Forktail. 29: 43-47. Close ). Major migration route through Korea, W Kyushu and Honshu (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) (Japan) and Ryukyu Is toward Taiwan, Philippines and Sulawesi (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but to lesser extent moves through SE China through mainland SE Asia to Greater Sundas (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); migration detected in late Aug through Sept and early Oct (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but not well known in spring (considered to be mainly Mar–mid May (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); e.g. mid Apr in Philippines (5 Hornskov, J. (1995). Recent observations of birds in the Philippine Archipelago. Forktail. 11: 1–10. Close ) and recorded in Laos as late as 1 May (6 Duckworth, J. W., R. J. Tizard, R. J. Timmins, R. M. Thewlis, W. G. Robichaud, and T. D. Evans (1998). Bird records from Laos, October 1994-August 1995. Forktail 13:33–68. Close ) ). Considerable movement recorded over Bali, where 924 birds seen from early Oct to early Nov 1990 (7 Ash, J.S. (1993). Raptor migration on Bali, Indonesia. Forktail. 9: 3–11. Close ); movement over N Sulawesi in early Mar and early Oct. Birds arrive in Ussuriland in early May. Exceptionally has been recorded on N Marianas (Guam, Rota), Yap and Palau, all in W Pacific (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Main prey probably frogs (especially in breeding season (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ); also large insects, such as grasshoppers, dragonflies and beetles (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), frogs, as well as lizards and small birds (latter perhaps most important in winter (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ). Hunts mainly in open country, scanning from perch, but also by gliding low above ground or circling, occasionally even hovering (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); mainly catches prey on ground, but also in shallow water (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Vocalizes only in breeding season, especially early on; sharp  "keee-keee-keee..." in courtship, and similar but shorter calls in anxiety at nest; also low whine by female carrying food, and similar vocalization to that of A. nisus by male when approaching nest with prey (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Laying in early–mid (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) Jun (Korea, perhaps slightly earlier in NE China (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ), with aerial courtship displays commencing late May, and young apparently leaving nest in Aug (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Nests in tree, in fork or on lateral branch, 8–12 m high; nest built of sticks and lined with green leaves which are added throughout breeding period; 35–43 cm across and c. 13 cm deep (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Normally 3–4 eggs, occasionally 2 or (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) 5; incubation by both adults; both also hunt for chicks, although female normally hunts nearer nest; fledging from 22 days, with young birds beginning to hunt soon after. Newly hatched young are covered in white down, weigh c. 13–16 g and have pink cere, legs and tongue, and white claws; wing feather sheaths emerge 3 days after hatching, and wing feathers protrude out of sheaths when nestlings are c. 9 days-old; at 20–21 days nestlings are almost covered by contour feathers except for the forehead, central belly an tibia, and they spend time on branches around the nest; highest growth rate occurs 6 days after hatching for the body mass, but 15 and 20 days after hatching for wing length and tail length respectively (8 Choi, C.-Y., Nam, H.-Y. and Lee, W.-S. (2015). Growth of Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis nestlings. Forktail. 31: 110–113. Close ). In a study at Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Henan Province, C China, based on 133 nests, c. 92% nests were built on broad-leaved trees, mostly Castanea mollissima and Pterocarya stenoptera; egg-laying from mid-May to mid-June, peaking in early June; mean clutch size, 3·16 ± 0·75 eggs, with no significant interannual variation; females contributed 87% of the total incubation effort; incubation period, 28 ± 2 days (range 24–31 days, n = 46), and nestling period 20·4 ± 1·6 days (range 18–25, n = 27); overall breeding success, 58·7%, with a daily nest survival rate of 0·993 during incubation period and 0·981 during nestling period; predation of eggs and nestlings by snakes and Eurasian Jays (Garrulus glandarius) was the main cause of nest failure (9 Ma, Q., Severinghaus, L.L., Deng, W.-H. and Zhang, Z. (2016). Breeding biology of a little-known raptor in central China: the Chinese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis). Journal of Raptor Research. 50(2): 176–184. Close ). Adults actively defend nest against intruders, including man.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Common at least in some areas, and total population probably sizeable. Large number of birds observed on migration in Japan, e.g. over 10,000 birds counted in autumn over Okinawa (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), coming from N part of range; these would therefore constitute just a small part of population. After a radar study, at least 225,935 individuals crossed through the Luzon Strait towards Taiwan in just five days in Apr 2004 (10 Sun, Y.-H., Deng, T.-W., Lan, C.-Y. and Chen, C.-C. (2010). Spring migration of Chinese Goshawks (Accipiter soloensis) in Taiwan. Journal of Raptor Research. 44(3): 188–195. Close ). Common migrant and winter visitor in N Sulawesi, especially in lowlands, and also reportedly numerous in E Philippines at this season (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but elsewhere in winter quarters seems less abundant (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), although could be overlooked due to identification difficulties (6 Duckworth, J. W., R. J. Tizard, R. J. Timmins, R. M. Thewlis, W. G. Robichaud, and T. D. Evans (1998). Bird records from Laos, October 1994-August 1995. Forktail 13:33–68. Close ).