Hawk (Acciper gentilis) has long yellow legs and orange-red (good) eyes. He is an average of 4.5 and a maximum of 15 years. He has short, broad wings and a long, almost square tail. An adult (gos)hawk has a distinctive white eyebrow stripe above the eye, a black crown and dark feathers in the ear area.
The male measures 49-56 cm, wingspan 93-105, weighing up to 800 grams. He is at the downside brown and off-white with thin brown horizontal zebra cross stripes. (Looks like the sparrow, but is heavier).
The female is larger: 58-66 cm, wingspan 108-127 cm, weight 1,300 grams. It is at the bottom and top slate gray.
A pair of hawks usually remains together for life and often have several nests in their territories, which are changed from year to year to avoid parasites. Sometimes the "free" nests are used also by other (predatory) birds such as buzzards. These nests are built in wooded areas at about 10-16 m height, and can become huge with the years.
The hawk lays one to five blue white eggs. During brooding they moult.
Their hunting ground is located in the forest but also in open areas.
The hawk sits motionless on a branch looking for prey. He pushes himself off and saves a few times with the wings. With its wings almost against his body, he plunges through trees and bushes, and catches its prey with its claws. Sometimes he delves from the air.
He eats wood pigeons, crows, pheasants, starlings, birds of prey, rats, rabbits and hares.
Hawks take their prey to a plucking post and pick them there. You can find the fur or feathers fully extended back on the ground. The points of the feather shafts remain intact. On the sternum of birds are often seen snapping wedges. He leaves a stripped bare shoulder belt with two wings and some primaries behind. Often you see distinctive white stripes urine (and feathers).
Young hawks sometimes not hit their prey good so she is not pinched dead. You can still find live animals with devoured breast fillets.
Protect your chickens with a sealed run. He dives sometimes through networks, so use firm, or double, or metal.
Chicken older than 1 year usually manage to dodge a hawk attack and take cover or go lie "dead".
Crows warn loudly if a hawk comes close.
The hawk is a popular game bird in many falconers.