Sparrowhawk?

You may have seen this diminutive raptor just about anywhere in the U.S. You, or a friend may also have identified it as a Sparrowhawk. However, this little bunch of feistiness is not a hawk at all, but rather an American Kestrel Falcon.

This small falcon is native to almost everywhere in the continental U.S. It is commonly called a "Sparrowhawk," as its primary prey items consist of large insects and small birds. However, the American Kestrel shouldn't really be referred to as a Sparrowhawk, for two reasons. The first reason is that it is of the genus Falco, making it a falcon, not a hawk. The second reason is that there are several types of actual Sparrowhawks that are native to Eurasia. For example, the scientific name of the American Kestrel is Falco sparverius, while the scientific names of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Black Sparrowhawk are Accipiter nisus and Accipiter melanoleucus, respectively. The Kestrel isn't even distantly related to the Sparrowhawk!