Accipiter brevipes - Levant Sparrowhawk
Feather characters. Barbules are extremely long (2.2-3.1 mm), entangled and basal internodes contain dark stippled pigment. Concentration of pigment gradually decreases distally. Slightly thickened nodes (12-14 per mm) are located on proximal end of barbules. Over a short distance these nodes abruptly decrease in size. Further along the barbule, nodal structures are too small to qualify as nodes. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are mostly located on proximal end of barbules on both sides of the pennulum.
Field characters. Length 32-38 cm; wingspan 64-80 cm. Weight: male 175 g (150-223), female 254 g (232-275) (Dunning, 1993). Both sexes have red-brown eyes and longer pointed wings than Sparrowhawk; tail has 6 or more bars (4-5 in Sparrowhawk). Male well distinguishable having white underwings with black feathertips. Neck, mantle and upperwing blue-grey; cheeks grey, sides of neck orange. Underparts appear completely white but provided with ochre wash (actually very fine bars) on breast and flanks, contrasting with white underwings. Female usually difficult to distinguish from female Sparrowhawk except for pointed wings; in close view, note more uniform face (lacks pale throat and supercilium of Sparrowhawk), more brownish upperparts, and finer barring on breast. Juvenile has underparts streaked with dark brown drop-like spots (juvenile Sparrowhawk is barred).
Voice. Utters a distinctive, high-pitched 'kevick'.
Distribution. Scarce summer visitor. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Forests and wooded valleys.
Food. Searches for prey while flying at moderate heights, taking mainly ground-living animals like large insects, reptiles, mice, songbirds and bats.