Chinese Sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza soloensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Chinese Sparrowhawk

Tachyspiza soloensis (Horsfield, 1821)

25–28 cmLength52–56 cmWingspan

This small hawk has a gray back and nearly white underparts with a slight pale orange wash, and can migrate in large flocks of over a thousand.

Busiest months: October · Most records: China, Singapore, Thailand

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Back dark gray, belly almost unmarked
  2. Underparts white, breast with a slight pale orange wash
  3. Bill dark gray, cere bright yellow
  4. Tail has 4–6 narrow black markings

Male, female and young

Male eyes red; female eyes yellow, with more pronounced rufous on breast and underwing coverts. Juvenile upperparts dark brown, underparts streaked.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October · Most records: China, Singapore, Thailand

Chinese Sparrowhawk has been recorded at 775 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kenting NP – Sheding Lingxiao Pavilion (Raptors Observation Spot)Taiwan (China)2,218 records
  2. Khao Dinsor (Khao Dinso) / Chumphon Raptor CenterThailand768 records
  3. Henderson WavesSingapore523 records
More places
  1. Mount Faber ParkSingapore382 records
  2. Matsu – Dongyin Vegetable FarmChina375 records
  3. Po ToiHong Kong (China)367 records
  4. Penghu – Jibei IslandTaiwan (China)339 records
  5. Matsu – DongyinChina307 records
  6. Jiulongshan National Forest ParkChina247 records
  7. Matsu – Dongyin Dongyong ReservoirChina192 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaSingaporeThailandPhilippinesSouth KoreaIndonesiaMalaysiaIndia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Chinese sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza soloensis) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Chinese Sparrowhawk?

The Chinese Sparrowhawk is about 25–28 cm long, with a wingspan of 52–56 cm.

Where does the Chinese Sparrowhawk live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: eastern Siberia, Korean Peninsula and China. It is most often recorded in China, Singapore and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Chinese Sparrowhawk?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Northern Hemisphere).

What family is the Chinese Sparrowhawk in?

It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.

At a glance

Length
25–28 cm
Wingspan
52–56 cm

Range

Palearctic: eastern Siberia, Korean Peninsula and China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
Genus
Tachyspiza

Other birds in the genus Tachyspiza

Red-thighed SparrowhawkRed-thighed SparrowhawkTachyspiza erythropusLittle SparrowhawkLittle SparrowhawkTachyspiza minullaBesraBesraTachyspiza virgataDwarf SparrowhawkDwarf SparrowhawkTachyspiza nanusRufous-necked SparrowhawkRufous-necked SparrowhawkTachyspiza erythrauchenCollared SparrowhawkCollared SparrowhawkTachyspiza cirrocephalaNew Britain SparrowhawkNew Britain SparrowhawkTachyspiza brachyuraVinous-breasted SparrowhawkVinous-breasted SparrowhawkTachyspiza rhodogasterJapanese SparrowhawkJapanese SparrowhawkTachyspiza gularisLevant SparrowhawkLevant SparrowhawkTachyspiza brevipesShikraShikraTachyspiza badiaNicobar SparrowhawkNicobar SparrowhawkTachyspiza butleri
Chinese Sparrowhawk

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Tan Kok Hui. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages