Races:
Accipiter nisus nisus Linnaeus, 1758
Accipiter nisus nisosimilis Tickell, 1833
Accipiter nisus dementjevi Stepanyan, 1958

No Synonyms

Description

Common breeding migrant. Inhabits plains and mountains, coniferous and deciduous forests, up to 2500 m in Zailiyskiy Alatau. In southern areas appears in March; most birds migrate in April and some observed up to mid-May. In more northern areas it migrates in April – May. It needs to note, that all late migrants caught at Chokpak Pass in April – May are immature second year birds. Breeds in separate pairs not close one to other. Nest is built in various trees, both deciduous and coniferous species (spruce, fir, apple, birch or aspen), 2-10 m above ground. Built of dry twigs and lined with old grass. Sometimes old nests of Magpie are repaired and used for breeding. Clutches of 2-5, usually 3-4 eggs, in mid-May – June. Female incubates from first egg for more than 30 days and cares for chicks; male brings food for them. When chicks are well grown, both parents fly for prey. Young leave nest July – August and stay nearby for a long time, dependent of parental feeding. Autumn migration begins end August and continues until November, peaking in September – first half of October.

Note. Analysis measurements of 105 hatching year sparrowhawks, caught at Chokpak in 1990-1994, show that in early and late migration its wing not differ significantly. Here nisus and dementievi dominated and more big nisosimilis from Eastern Siberia rarely occurs in mid – end October. It is confirmed by ringing results too. From ringed at Chokpak birds 4 recovered from Russian Altai and one ringed at Abakan (52’56N 90’56E) was found in Eastern Kazakhstan close to Zyryanovsk, 49’40N84’16E (Gavrilov, 2004).

Races

Eurasian Sparrowhawk( Accipiter nisus nisus )	Accipiter nisus nisus Linnaeus, 1758 In general smaller than nisosimilis. Male wing length 188-210 (201), female 223-248 (236) mm. Breeds in middle current of Ural valley, Northern Kazakhstan, Kokchetav forest, Irtysh valley at Pavlodar, south-west Altai, Kalbinskiy Altai, Kazakhishe upland (Karkaralinsk, Konyr, near Akbastau), Dzhungarskiy Alatau and Northern Tien Shan. Since 1978 it has nested in Naurzum Reserve. Widespread on migration. Occasionally winters at Markakol’ lake 4 - 29 November 1980, 3 - 13 December 1980, 1 January - 31 March 1981, but usually in southern Kazakhstan. Subspecies nisus and nisosimilis don't differ visually. Division of the European and Siberian hawks into two subspecies has conditional character; an evaluation of geographical border between this two subspecies has even more conditional character. Therefore all photos were placed to page of nisus subspecies.
	Accipiter nisus nisosimilis Tickell, 1833 In general larger than nisus. Male wing length 200-219 (208), female 240-255 (247) mm. Migration in east and southern areas of Kazakhstan from October onwards. Wintering on Syrdarya valley.
	Accipiter nisus dementjevi Stepanyan, 1958 Upper parts darker, rusty tone of pattern on under parts more intensive than nisosimilis. Under parts lighter, generally smaller than Himalayan race melaschistos. These distinctions are most obvious in males. Male wing length 205-210 (208), female 240-256 (250) mm. This race nests in Western Tien Shan, where nests were found in 1966 by A.F.Kovshar and in 1971 by B.M.Gubin.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.