Hawk

Hawks
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae Subfamily: Accipitrinae
Genera
Accipiter Micronisus Melierax Urotriorchis Erythrotriorchis

The term hawk can be used in several ways:

• In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae in the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks, sparrowhawks , the Sharp-shinned Hawk and others. These are mainly woodland birds with long tails and high visual acuity, hunting by sudden dashes from a concealed perch.
• More generally (especially in North America) to mean falcons or small to medium-sized members of the Accipitridae - the family which includes the "true hawks" (Accipiters) as well as eagles, kites, harriers and buzzards.
• Loosely, to mean almost any bird of prey outside of the order Strigiformes (owls).

The common names of birds in various parts of the world often use hawk in the second sense. For example, the Osprey or "fish hawk"; or, in North America, the various Buteo species (e.g., the Red-tailed Hawk, B. jamaicensis).

In February 2005, Canadian ornithologist Louis Lefebvre announced a method of measuring avian "IQ" in terms of their innovation in feeding habits. Hawks were named among the most intelligent birds based on his scale.

Hawks are widely reputed to have visual acuity several times that of a normal human being. This is due to the many photoreceptors in the retina (up to 1,000,000 per square mm for Buteo, against 200,000 for humans), an exceptional number of nerves connecting these receptors to the brain, and an indented fovea, which magnifies the central portion of the visual field.

Accipitrinae

The Accipitrinae is the subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related genera Melierax, Urotriorchis, Erythrotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread genus Accipiter includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, the Sharp-shinned Hawk and others. They are primarily woodland birds that hunt by sudden dashes from a concealed perch, with long tails, broad wings and high visual acuity facilitating this lifestyle. In light of recent genetic research, the kites of the traditional subfamily Milvinae may also belong to this group.

Hawks, including the accipitrines, are believed to have vision several times as sharp as that of the human species, in part because of the great number of photoreceptors in their retinas (up to 1,000,000 per square mm, against 200,000 for humans), a very high number of nerves connecting the receptors to the brain, and an indented fovea, which magnifies the central portion of the visual field.

Species list

This list is in taxonomic order to show the relationships between species.

• Subfamily Accipitrinae
  • Genus Accipiter
    • Northern Goshawk, A. gentilis
    • Eurasian Sparrowhawk, A. nisus
    • Grey-bellied Goshawk, A. poliogaster
    • Crested Goshawk, A. trivirgatus
    • Sulawesi Goshawk, A. griseiceps
    • Red-chested Goshawk, A. toussenelii
    • African Goshawk, A. tachiro
    • Chinese Goshawk, A. soloensis
    • Frances's Sparrowhawk, A. francesii
    • Spot-tailed Goshawk, A. trinotatus
    • Grey Goshawk, A. novaehollandiae
    • Brown Goshawk, A. fasciatus
    • Pied Goshawk, A. albogularis
    • Fiji Goshawk, A. rufitorques
    • White-bellied Goshawk, A. haplochrous
    • Moluccan Goshawk, A. henicogrammus
    • Grey-headed Goshawk, A. poliocephalus
    • New Britain Goshawk, A. princeps
    • Henst's Goshawk, A. henstii
    • Meyer's Goshawk, A. meyerianus
    • Black Goshawk, A. melanoleucus
    • Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk, A. castanilius
    • Nicobar Sparrowhawk, A. butleri
    • Levant Sparrowhawk, A. brevipes
    • Slaty-mantled Sparrowhawk, A. luteoschistaceus
    • Imitator Sparrowhawk, A. imitator
    • Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, A. erythropus
    • Little Sparrowhawk, A. minullus
    • Japanese Sparrowhawk, A. gularis
    • Small Sparrowhawk, A. nanus
    • Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk, A. erythrauchen
    • Collared Sparrowhawk, A. cirrocephalus
    • New Britain Sparrowhawk, A. brachyurus
    • Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk, A. rhodogaster
    • Madagascar Sparrowhawk, A. madagascariensis
    • Ovampo Sparrowhawk, A. ovampensis
    • Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, A. rufiventris
    • Shikra, A. badius
    • Tiny Hawk, A. superciliosus
    • Semicollared Hawk, A. collaris
    • Sharp-shinned Hawk, A. striatus
    • White-breasted Hawk, A. chionogaster
    • Plain-breasted Hawk, A. ventralis
    • Rufous-thighed Hawk, A. erythronemius
    • Cooper's Hawk, A. cooperii
    • Gundlach's Hawk, A. gundlachi
    • Bicoloured Hawk, A. bicolor
    • Besra, A. virgatus
  • Genus Melierax
    • Gabar Goshawk, M. gabar
    • Dark Chanting Goshawk, M. metabates
    • Eastern Chanting Goshawk, M. poliopterus
    • Pale Chanting Goshawk, M. canorus
  • Genus Urotriorchis
    • Long-tailed Hawk, U. macrourus
  • Genus Erythrotriorchis
    • Red Goshawk, E. radiatus
    • Chestnut-shouldered Goshawk, E. buergersi
  • Genus Megatriorchis
    • Doria's Goshawk, M. doriae
• Subfamily Buteoninae
  • Genus Parabuteo
    • Harris's Hawk, P. unicinctus
  • Genus Buteogallus
    • Common Black Hawk, Buteogallus anthracinus
    • Mangrove Black Hawk, Buteogallus subtilis
    • Great Black Hawk, Buteogallus urubitinga
    • Rufous crab Hawk, Buteogallus aequinoctialis
    • Savanna Hawk, Buteogallus meridionalis
  • Genus Busarellus
    • Black-collared Hawk, Busarellus nigricollis
  • Genus Leucopternis
    • Plumbeous Hawk, Leucopternis plumbea
    • Slate-coloured Hawk, Leucopternis schistacea
    • Barred Hawk, Leucopternis princeps
    • Black-faced Hawk, Leucopternis melanops
    • White-browed Hawk, Leucopternis kuhli
    • White-necked Hawk, Leucopternis lacernulata
    • Semiplumbeous Hawk, Leucopternis semiplumbea
    • White Hawk, Leucopternis albicollis
    • Grey-backed Hawk, Leucopternis occidentalis
    • Mantled Hawk, Leucopternis polionota

Hawks and humans

• Hawks are sometimes used in falconry, a sport in which trained hawks, eagles or falcons, are used to pursue and catch small game.
• In the US, hawks are sometimes shot for sport or by ranchers who believe the birds may depredate livestock. This makes hawk conservation an issue in some areas. In other parts of the world, most hawk species are protected by law

External links

• Hawk videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Hawk photos taken on the central coast of California.

Credits

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