Accipiter

Accipiter is a genus of small to medium-sized birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, commonly including many species known as sparrowhawks and goshawks. Members are built for manoeuvring through dense woodland: short, broad, rounded wings and a long tail give them the agility to pursue small birds and mammals through cover, typically after a short, fast ambush-style chase rather than sustained pursuit. Females are typically noticeably larger than males, a marked reversed sexual size dimorphism common among raptors. The genus was formally established by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760, with the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) designated as its type species; the name derives from the Latin accipere, to grasp, referencing the genus's hunting style.