Sparrow Hawk

When I was a kid, this bird was called a Sparrow Hawk. Somewhere along the line the name was changed to conform to the U.K. English use of the name Kestrel. It is a bit ironic that Americans chose to imitate the English in this regard as the English name itself is just a cheap imitation of the French name, crecerelle, which itself derived from the Latin word for a rattle.

Whatever name it goes by, I dreamed of having one of these beautiful little falcons as a hunting pet when I was a kid. I mainly saw them far from my home, but I recall being thrilled one early spring day when one flew into our yard and appeared to be investigating a hole in our telephone pole as a potential nesting spot. It eventually flew off, never to be seen again, and that was as close to having a Sparrow Hawk for a companion as I ever got.

As a matter of fact, these birds, while common, are a bit aloof. I include these pictures today because this is the first Sparrow Hawk that's ever allowed me to get even reasonably close for a photo. I happened upon this one this morning on my way to Scott, Louisiana, the Boudin Capital of the World, for a Best Stop boudin and boudin ball breakfast. That was especially fortunate as my son (not a birdwatcher, alas) was with me on the way for the treat and got a nice look at this cooperative bird.

By the way, DNA research from the Field Museum indicates that falcons are more closely related to parrots than they are to hawks. Personally, I've always seen the resemblance. I never did get my dream Sparrow Hawk for a pet when I was a kid, but I did have a very falcon-looking budgie--which was apparently the next best thing after all.