- Lifespan
- 12–17 years in the wild; females typically live longer than males
- Size & Weight
- 28–38 cm; wingspan 55–70 cm; males 110–140 g, females 190–260 g
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, coniferous and mixed forests, parks, and gardens with scattered trees across lowland and upland areas.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout the UK including Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland; resident year-round with some migration of continental birds in winter.
- Diet
- Specialises in hunting small birds, relying on speed and agility to catch prey in flight or snatch them from perches and vegetation.
- Prey
- Blue tits, great tits, robins, sparrows, starlings, finches, and other small passerines; occasionally small mammals
- Predators
- Golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, and other large raptors; chicks vulnerable to corvids and occasionally foxes
- Mating Season
- February to August, with peak breeding April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4–5 eggs; incubation 32–35 days; fledging 23–27 days; typically one brood per year
- Behaviour
- Highly agile aerial hunter using surprise and speed to pursue prey through complex terrain. Males perform dramatic sky-dancing displays during courtship, diving steeply with loud calls. Fiercely territorial and solitary outside breeding season.