[coop71]

I’d never heard of a sparrow hawk so I had to Google it. They’re beautiful...but they look mean! I can’t believe you guys caught one - that takes guts...and a high pain tolerance, apparently.

[Flycatcher]

Yes, the name sparrow hawk is a colloquialism that in America used to mean either the American kestrel (a falcon) or the sharp-shinned hawk (an accipiter). Funny story: about six months ago, my coworkers and I heard a screaming commotion outside the window. We went out and found a kestrel ripping into a freshly caught northern rough-winged swallow while other swallows screamed and circled about. I kept a swallow feather and taped it to my computer to remind me that it really is a bird-eat-bird world out there. (And I'm glad I'm not a bird, despite my handle!)