Do Levant Sparrowhawks Accipiter brevipes also migrate at night

Flight paths of visually identified Levant Sparrowhawks Accipiter brevipes on autumn migration were analysed with a tracking radar in the Arava Valley, Israel. This time of the year there are no significant numbers of other species with a similar wing-beat pattern. This wing-beat pattern was found not only in daytime but also frequently at night. It is suggested that the Levant Sparrowhawk uses two strategies of migration: (1) soaring and gliding to reduce energy consumption; (2) flapping flight to reduce time spent on migration. The latter may be more important towards the end of the migratory season and/or when birds have become separated from the main migratory stream.