Hawk

Last updated

Contents

Hawk
Northern Goshawk ad M2.jpg
Adult Eurasian goshawk
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Sharp-shinned hawk, a small member of the Accipitrinae subfamily Accipiter striatusDO1908P02CA.JPG
Sharp-shinned hawk, a small member of the Accipitrinae subfamily

Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. [1]

The terms accipitrine hawk and buteonine hawk are used to distinguish between the types in regions where hawk applies to both. The term "true hawk" is sometimes used for the accipitrine hawks in regions where buzzard is preferred for the buteonine hawks.

All these groups are members of the family Accipitridae, which includes the hawks and buzzards as well as kites, harriers and eagles. To confuse things further, some authors use "hawk" generally for any small to medium Accipitrid that is not an eagle. [3]

A Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), a member of the Buteo group Red-tailed Hawk.jpg
A Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), a member of the Buteo group

The common names of some birds include the term "hawk", reflecting traditional usage rather than taxonomy. For example, some people may call an osprey a "fish hawk" or a peregrine falcon a "duck hawk".

History

Falconry was once called "hawking" and any bird used for falconry could be referred to as a hawk. [4]

Aristotle listed eleven types of ἱέρακες (hierakes, hawks, singular ἱέραξhierax): aisalōn (merlin), asterias, hypotriorchēs, kirkos, leios, perkos, phassophonos, phrynologos, pternis, spizias, and triorchēs. Pliny numbered sixteen kinds of hawks, but named only aigithos, epileios, kenchrēïs (kestrel), kybindis, and triorchēs (buzzard). [5]

Groups

Accipiter group

The accipitrine hawks generally hunt birds as their primary prey. They are also called "hen-hawks", or "wood-hawks" because of their woodland habitat.

The subfamily Accipitrinae contains Accipiter; it also contains genera Micronisus (Gabar goshawk), Urotriorchis (long-tailed hawk), and Megatriorchis (Doria's goshawk). Melierax (chanting goshawks) may be included in the subfamily, or given a subfamily of its own.

Erythrotriorchis (the red and chestnut-shouldered goshawks) is traditionally included in Accipitridae, but is possibly a convergent genus from an unrelated group (see red goshawk taxonomy).

Buteo group

The "Buteo group" includes genera Buteo , Parabuteo , Geranoetus , and most of Leucopternis . Members of this group have also been called "hawk-buzzards". [6]

Proposed new genera Morphnarchus , Rupornis , and Pseudastur are formed from members of Buteo and Leucopternis. [7]

The " Buteogallus group" are also called hawks, with the exception of the solitary eagles. Buteo is the type genus of the subfamily Buteoninae. Traditionally this subfamily also includes eagles and sea-eagles. Lerner and Mindell (2005) proposed placing those into separate subfamilies (Aquilinae, Haliaaetinae), leaving only the buteonine hawks/buzzards in Buteoninae.

Characteristics

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
Screaming Hawk
Scream of a hawk.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Intelligence

In February 2005, Canadian ornithologist Louis Lefebvre announced a method of measuring avian "IQ" by measuring their innovation in feeding habits. [8] Based on this scale, hawks were named among the most intelligent birds. The hawk is very intelligent towards humans and other hawks. [9]

Eyesight

Hawks, like most birds, are tetrachromats having four types of colour receptors in the eye. Unlike some birds, but similar to other diurnal raptors, most hawks are violet-sensitive species and cannot perceive ultraviolet light. [10] Hawks also have relatively high visual acuity – the distance at which they can resolve an image – with 16.8 cycles per degree reported in the red-tailed hawk. [11] This is due to the large number of photoreceptors in the retina (up to 1,000,000 per square mm in Buteo, compared to 200,000 in humans), a high number of nerves connecting these receptors to the brain, and an indented fovea, which magnifies the central portion of the visual field. [12] [13] [14] Hawks additionally have two foveae (depressions in the retina with high photoreceptor density) in each eye, one centrally-placed, and the other temporally-placed. [15]

Migration

Like most birds, the hawk migrates in the autumn and the spring. Different types of hawks choose separate times in each season to migrate. The autumn migrating season begins in August and ends mid-December. It has been studied that there are longer migration distances than others. The long-distance travelers tend to begin in early autumn while the short distance travelers start much later. Thus, the longer the distance the earlier the bird begins its journey. There have been studies on the speed and efficiency of the bird's migration that show that it is better for a hawk to arrive at its destination as early as possible. [16] This is because the first bird that arrives has the first pick of mates, living area, food, and survival necessities. The more fat a bird has when it starts its migration, the better chance it has of making the trip safely. Kerlinger states that studies have shown that a bird has more body fat when it begins its migration, before it leaves, than when has arrived at its destination. [17]

One of the most important parts of the hawk's migration is the flight direction because the direction or path the bird chooses to take could greatly affect its migration. The force of wind is a variable because it could either throw the bird off course or push it in the right direction, depending on the direction of the wind. [17] To ensure a safer journey, a hawk tries to avoid any large bodies of water in the spring and fall by detouring around a lake or flying along a border. [18]

Hawkwatching is a citizen scientist activity that monitors hawk migration and provides data to the scientific community.

Habitat and distribution

The red-tailed hawk is probably the most common hawk in North America. [19] Past observations have indicated that while hawks can easily adapt to any surrounding, hawks prefer a habitat that is open. Hawks usually like to live in places like deserts and fields, likely as it is easier to find prey. As they are able to live anywhere, they can be found in mountainous plains and tropical, moist areas. Hawks have been found in places such as Central America, the West Indies, and Jamaica.

Behavior

Starting in the hawk's early life, it is fed by its parents until it leaves the nest. [20] The young hawk, while still in its fledgling phase, will leave its nest as early as six weeks old. Once the bird is older it begins to hunt. The hawk kills its prey with its talons as opposed to other predator birds, such as the falcon. The falcon uses its talons to catch the prey but kills the small animal with its beak instead of its talons.[ citation needed ] The hawk's preferred time for hunting is usually just before nightfall when daylight lessens. [16] Although the hawk is known for being a violent predator, some are gentle and quiet.[ citation needed ] When it flies, the hawk flaps its wings rapidly, and then uses that momentum to glide smoothly and gracefully through the air. [18]

The idea of flocking during migration has been closely analyzed, and it has been concluded that it is a commutative tool used by birds and other animals to increase survival. It has become clear to observers that a hawk traveling in a flock has a greater chance of survival than if it travelled alone. Another word used in the United States that has the same meaning as "flock", particularly in terms of groups of hawks, is "kettle". [17] : 215–16 

Reproduction

Hawks are known for their unique mating season. The method the hawk uses to reproduce is different from most. The male and female will fly together in a circular motion. Once they reach a certain height, the male will dive toward the female and then they will raise back to the height again. The two birds will repeat this until finally the male latches onto the female and they begin to free-fall down to earth. In one year, a female hawk will lay about five eggs. Both the male and the female will cater and take care of the eggs for about a month until they hatch. [20] The male and the female create their nest before the mating season and improve it together during the nesting season. The two birds usually make their nest prior to mating. Some species of hawks tend to be monogamous and stay with the same mating partner their whole lives. [18]

Diet

Red-tailed hawk removing fur from a rodent before eating it, Mission Peak Regional Preserve, California

A hawk's diet is predictable and includes a variety of smaller animals. Some of these small animals include snakes, lizards, fish, mice, rabbits, squirrels, birds, and any other type of small game that is found on the ground. [20] More specifically, a red-shouldered hawk likes to eat smaller birds like doves and bugs like grasshoppers and crickets. [18]

In culture

A war hawk , or simply hawk, is a term used in politics for somebody favoring war. The term reportedly originated during the 1810 debates in Congress over a possible war with Great Britain when Congressman John Randolph called the pro-war faction led by Henry Clay, the 'war-hawks'. [21]

Numerous sporting clubs, such as the Atlanta Hawks, the Hawthorn Hawks and the Malmö Redhawks, use the bird as an emblem. Miami University in Oxford, Ohio officially became known as the RedHawks in 1997 after formerly being known as the Redskins.

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb holding a hawk in his darbar Aurangzeb-portrait.jpg
Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb holding a hawk in his darbar

Hawks are highly associated with Guru Gobind Singh in the Sikh community. According to ornithologists, he is believed to have kept a white Northern Goshawk. This is reflected in that the Northern Goshawk was made the official state bird of Punjab, India. [22] [23] [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common buzzard</span> Species of bird of prey

The common buzzard is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. It is a member of the genus Buteo in the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across much of the Palearctic as far as northwestern China, far western Siberia and northwestern Mongolia. Over much of its range, it is a year-round resident. However, buzzards from the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere as well as those that breed in the eastern part of their range typically migrate south for the northern winter, many journeying as far as South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle</span> Large carnivore bird

Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus Aquila. Most of the 68 species of eagles are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—two in North America, nine in Central and South America, and three in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bird of prey</span> Paraphyletic group of birds

Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates. In addition to speed and strength, these predators have keen eyesight for detecting prey from a distance or during flight, strong feet with sharp talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for tearing off flesh. Although predatory birds primarily hunt live prey, many species also scavenge and eat carrion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitridae</span> Family of birds of prey

The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a few feeding on fruit. The Accipitridae have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found on all the world's continents and a number of oceanic island groups. Some species are migratory. The family contains 255 species which are divided into 70 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falconry</span> Hunting with a trained bird of prey

Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person involved in falconry: a "falconer" flies a falcon; an "austringer" keeps Goshawks and uses accipiters for hunting. or an eagle. In modern falconry, the red-tailed hawk, Harris's hawk, and the peregrine falcon are some of the more commonly used birds of prey. The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird is also called "hawking" or "gamehawking", although the words hawking and hawker have become used so much to refer to petty traveling traders, that the terms "falconer" and "falconry" now apply to most use of trained birds of prey to catch game. However, any contemporary practitioners still use these words in their original meaning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kite (bird)</span> Bird of prey

Kite is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, Elaninae, and Perninae. The term is derived from Old English cȳta, possibly from the onomatopoeic Proto-Indo-European root *gū- , "screech."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European honey buzzard</span> Species of bird

The European honey buzzard, also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.

<i>Buteo</i> Genus of birds-of-prey including various buzzards and hawks

Buteo is a genus of medium to fairly large, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in the New World. As both terms are ambiguous, buteo is sometimes used instead, for example, by the Peregrine Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-tailed hawk</span> Species of bird

The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide. The red-tailed hawk is one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk", though it rarely preys on standard-sized chickens. The bird is sometimes also referred to as the red-tail for short, when the meaning is clear in context. Red-tailed hawks can acclimate to all the biomes within their range, occurring on the edges of non-ideal habitats such as dense forests and sandy deserts. The red-tailed hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes, including deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, agricultural fields, and urban areas. Its latitudinal limits fall around the tree line in the subarctic and it is absent from the high Arctic. Generally it favors varied habitats with open woodland, woodland edge and open terrain. It is legally protected in Canada, Mexico, and the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buteoninae</span> Subfamily of birds

The Buteoninae are a subfamily of birds of prey which consists of medium to large, broad-winged species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitrinae</span> Subfamily of birds

The Accipitrinae are the subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related genera 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested honey buzzard</span> Species of bird

The crested honey buzzard is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles, and harriers. Pernis ptilorhynchus has six subspecies. As a medium-sized raptor, their size ranges between 57–60 cm (22–24 in). They are also known as the Oriental, Asiatic, or Eastern honey buzzard. The name is derived from its diet, which consists mainly of the larvae of bees and wasps extracted from honey combs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizard buzzard</span> Species of bird

The lizard buzzard, or lizard hawk, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its name, it may be more closely related to the Accipiter hawks than the Buteo buzzards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris's hawk</span> Species of bird

Harris's hawk, formerly known as the bay-winged hawk, dusky hawk, and sometimes a wolf hawk, and known in Latin America as peuco, is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil. This bird is sometimes reported to be at large in Western Europe, especially Britain, but it is a popular species in falconry and these records almost invariably all refer to escapes from captivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-chested buzzard-eagle</span> Species of bird

The black-chested buzzard-eagle is a bird of prey of the hawk and eagle family (Accipitridae). It lives in open regions of South America. This species is also known as the black buzzard-eagle, the gray buzzard-eagle, or analogously with "eagle" or "eagle-buzzard" replacing "buzzard-eagle", or as the Chilean blue eagle. It is sometimes placed in the genus Buteo.

<i>Buteogallus</i> Genus of birds

Buteogallus is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. All members of this genus are essentially neotropical, but the distribution of a single species extends slightly into the extreme southwestern United States. Many of the species are fond of large crustaceans and even patrol long stretches of shore or riverbank on foot where such prey abounds, but some have a rather different lifestyle. Unlike many other genera of raptor, some members are referred to as "hawks", and others as "eagles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian goshawk</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian goshawk is a species of medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. As a species in the genus Accipiter, the goshawk is often considered a "true hawk". The scientific name is Latin; Accipiter is "hawk", from accipere, "to grasp", and gentilis is "noble" or "gentle" because in the Middle Ages only the nobility were permitted to fly goshawks for falconry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray hawk</span> Species of raptor

The gray hawk or Mexican goshawk is a smallish raptor found in open country and forest edges. It is sometimes placed in the genus Asturina as Asturina plagiata. The species was split by the American Ornithological Society (AOU) from the gray-lined hawk. The gray hawk is found from Costa Rica north into the southwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-tailed hawk</span> Species of bird

The short-tailed hawk is an American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles and Old World vultures. As a member of the genus Buteo, it is not a true hawk and thus also referred to as a "buteo" or "buzzard". The white-throated hawk is a close relative and was formerly included in the species B. brachyurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkwatching</span> Citizen science activity

Hawkwatching is a mainly citizen science activity where experienced volunteers count migratory raptors in an effort to survey migratory numbers. Groups of hawkwatchers often congregate along well-known migratory routes such as mountain ridges, coastlines and land bridges, where raptors ride on updrafts created by the topography. Hawkwatches are often formally or informally organized by non-profit organizations such as an Audubon chapter, state park, wildlife refuge or other important birding area. Some hawkwatches remain independent of any organizing structure.

References

  1. ↑ "hawk | Types, Diet, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  2. ↑ Campbell, B., Lack.E (2013) A Dictionary of Birds. p.273
  3. ↑ Debus, Stephen J. S. (1990). The birds of prey of Australia: a field guide. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. pp. 12, 16, 62. ISBN   0-19-550624-3. Debus writes that the osprey is "a large aquatic hawk, with adaptations for catching fish by plunge-diving into water"; the elanid kites are "small, gull-like, grey-and-white hawks with black forewing patches"; and, of the harriers, that the "hawks in this cosmopolitan genus ('circling hawk') are so-called because of their low harrying flight". But he refers to the "typical or milvine kites" as "large kites", not hawks.
  4. ↑ Little, William; Fowler, H. W.; Coulson, Jessie; Onions, C. T.; Friedrichsen, G. W. S. (1973) [1944]. "Hawk". The shorter Oxford English dictionary on historical principles (3 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-861-294-X. Any diurnal bird of prey used in Falconry ... In Nat. Hist., restricted to a bird of the subfamily Accipitrinæ ... To chase or hunt game with a trained hawk; to practise falconry. ... Thei hauke, thei hunt, thei card, thei dice. Latimer [Hugh 1485? –1555]
  5. ↑ Arnott, W. Geoffrey (2007). "Hierax". Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z. Routledge. ISBN   9781134556267.
  6. ↑ "Hawk". The Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
  7. ↑ Remsen, Van (August 2010). "Revise generic boundaries in the Buteo group. Proposal (460) to the South American Classification Committee" . Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  8. ↑ EurekAlert! Public News List:Bird IQ test takes flight - Dr. Lefebvre's AAAS presentation - Feeding innovations and forebrain size in birds (Monday, February 21, 2005)Part of the symposium: Mind, Brain and Behavior
  9. ↑ Morgan, James (23 April 2021). "What Are Hawks Afraid Of? [Which Animals Prey on Hawks?]". BirdWatchingBuzz. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  10. ↑ Lind, Olle; Mitkus, Mindaugas; Olsson, Peter; Kelber, Almut (15 May 2013). "Ultraviolet sensitivity and colour vision in raptor foraging". Journal of Experimental Biology. 216 (10): 1819–1826. doi: 10.1242/jeb.082834 .
  11. ↑ Hall, M.I.; Ross, C.F. (2007). "Eye shape and activity patterns in birds". Journal of Zoology. 271: 437–444.
  12. ↑ "Hawks". beautyofbirds.com. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
  13. ↑ Kirschbaum, Kari. "Family Accipitridae". AnimalDiversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
  14. ↑ Nathan, Raymond. "Bird of preys". Birdlife.org. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Mitkus, Mindaugas; Olsson, Peter; Toomey, Matthew B.; Corbo, Joseph C.; Kelber, Almut (2017). "Specialized photoreceptor composition in the raptor fovea". The Journal of Comparative Neurology. 525 (9): 2152–2163. doi:10.1002/cne.24190.
  16. 1 2 Heintzelman, Donald S. (1986). The Migration of Hawks. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 40.
  17. 1 2 3 Kerlinger, Paul (1989). Flight Strategies of Migrating Hawks. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pp. 57–58, 153.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Heintzelman, Donald S. (2004). Hawks & Owls in Eastern North America. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. pp. 96–98. ISBN   9780813533506.
  19. ↑ "Red-tailed Hawk Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  20. 1 2 3 "Red-Tailed Hawk". National Geographic. 11 November 2010. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  21. ↑ p 156, "Fighting Words, From War, Rebellions, and Other Combative Capers by Christine Ammer.:
  22. ↑ "Lost in flight: State bird of Punjab missing from the state!". Hindustan Times. 2017-09-14. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  23. ↑ "State Bird is BAAZ". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Baj: The Hawk and the Sikhs | Harinder Singh | SikhRI Articles".
  25. ↑ Dhavan, Purnima (2011). "When Sparrows Became Hawks". doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199756551.001.0001. ISBN   978-0-19-975655-1 – via ResearchGate.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.