When the hunting season ends too quickly, some hunters can enjoy magpie hunting technique through the use of the Eurasian sparrowhawk. This very agile bird of prey, properly trained, will be able to capture many prey. Above all, it is a pleasure to see him fly.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk (scientific name Accipiter nisus, Linnaeus 1758) is a bird belonging to the Accipitridae family and is widespread in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Old World. It is the smallest diurnal bird of prey nesting in the Alps. Its short and rounded wings and long tail allow it both an agile flight maneuvered in the thick of the woods, and to easily distinguish it from the kestrel, a small bird of prey with long and pointed wings.
The characteristics of the Eurasian sparrowhawk consist of a slender body, small head, elegant and hooked beak, tall and thin tarsi like the fingers with strong nails. It is a bird of prey thirty centimeters long, over ten of which are part of the tail, while each wing is about sixteen centimeters long and their total opening exceeds sixty.
The females are larger than the males, as they exceed the latter by at least six centimeters and the wingspan is over ten centimeters. The plumage of the adults is dark ashy in the upper parts, white with wavy lines and rust-red streaks in the lower parts, the tail is marked by five or six black bands and has a white tip. The beak is blue, while the wax, feet and eyes are yellow. The young specimens have gray and white shades to a lesser extent, since on the throat and on the front part of the neck they exhibit longitudinal streaks, while the belly and thighs are distinguished by transverse spots.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is considered one of the most agile of birds of prey, as it can fly with extraordinary ease and rapidity in relation to the size of its wings. The Eurasian sparrowhawk is mistakenly considered cruel and very harmful in many parts of the world. In captivity, this bird is devoid of any interest and its distrust, wild character and voracity are not qualities that can win the sympathy of its owners.
It is the enemy of large and small birds and hunts with caution and cunning, the two qualities it possesses at the highest level. Generally, it remains hidden in the thicket of the trees from which it comes out only to go to the victim, unaware of his presence. During the flight it skims the ground and suddenly changes direction to surprise the prey, on which it launches perpendicularly with high speed. When it manages to capture its prey (almost always), it transports it to a safe place and then devours it.
Seeing the hawk in action is exciting.
The technique of hunting magpies with the Eurasian hawk is considered an excellent solution for those who do not have abundant classic prey available. For this type of technique it is necessary to use only the female specimens, since the males have dimensions that do not allow them to block a magpie and above all to remain unharmed by its obstinate defense.
This technique is very complex, as there are both intrinsic difficulties in the management, training and training of the Sparrowhawk, and due to the difficulty in capturing prey: magpies, in fact, are birds that exploit their great intelligence to find the way to escape the attack.
The technique of hunting magpies with the hawk is quite cheap, since the only expense that can be burdened is that relating to the fuel of your car: frequently the search for magpies requires long journeys to explore the territory by car, to the point that a hunting trip can also require 200-300 km of continuous travel by car in search of prey.
In any case, it can be practiced in a great variety of territories such as hills, plains and man-made countryside.
The sparrowhawk can be used at any time and all year round with special permits from the Provinces for hunting magpies.
To train the Sparrowhawk, the classic and gradual technique is used, with which the raptor is gradually introduced to the prey: for this purpose magpies are often used for training, subject to a request to the Provinces that carry out the control plans of this bird. . In the sparrowhawk its acceleration capacity must be maximized, through adequate training to wear and with continuous flights, if possible daily. Experience over time will help this bird of prey to refine its hunting techniques and conquer it gradually: it takes at least one hunting season before becoming an expert magpie hunter. A Sparrowhawk born in captivity and immediately trained in magpies, is able to catch an average of 14 prey in the first year and 51 in the second. The attack method of the hawk is as follows: generally the capture takes place within 10-100 meters from the launch point; once the prey has been identified, the bird of prey launches itself on it without letting it escape.
The technique of hunting magpies with the Eurasian hawk is very exciting and, where possible, it can be practiced all year round.