Page 72 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

The term ‘Hawk’ is used to describe a small to medium sized predatory bird, many of which
are found in the family Accipitridae in the order Accipitriformes. Many are also found in the family
Falconidae in the order Falconiformes. There are around 270 individual birds of prey qualified to
be called hawks; like the ‘true’ hawks or ‘bird hawks’ (hawks that prey on other birds) found in
the subfamily Accipitrinae* in the genera, Accipiter*, Erythrotriorchis* and Megatriorchis*. Other
species that qualify are, kites, Buteo/buzzards, harriers and falcons. (‘Falconry’ means Hawk-
ing) Many birds of prey, known as
‘hawks’, will usually have more com-
mon names. For instance, the fish
hawk, is normally the osprey, the
duck hawk, the peregrine falcon and
the pigeon hawk, the merlin. Hawks
are found on every continent except
Antarctica. This global spread has
added another layer of confusion to
the naming convention. For instance,
the American marsh hawk, the north-
ern harrier, is known elsewhere as the
hen harrier, while in America they
use the scientific name for hawks;
‘Buteo’; elsewhere they use the Latin
name for Buteo; ‘Buzzard’.

Although hawks, according to
the species, may differ, they all have
some very common features. They
have a very sleek build, with hooked
beaks, sharp talons and above all, phenomenally good eyesight; ten times greater than humans.
They are also very intelligent birds. Being experts at aerial combat, they can choose to hunt from a
high hidden perch or glide silently high above the ground. When the prey is spotted, they can dart
from their perch or swoop down from the sky at an incredible speed, catching their victim totally by
surprise.

Most hawks are migratory, and will begin to migrate, depending on the distance they have to
travel, around the autumn and the spring time. However, the areas they choose to migrate from and
to vary little. They like to inhabit large open areas, like fields or grasslands, and apart from the
marsh hawk who builds its nest on the ground, they will normally build their nests at a high eleva-
tion, on the top of the highest tree or cliff top and overlooking their hunting area. A hawk’s diet con-
sists of any type of small game that is found on the ground like, mice, rabbits, squirrels, while the
Fish hawks have a preference for fish and the bird hawks, birds and poultry. Hawks seem to prefer
hunting late afternoons or when daylight is failing, possibly to make full use of their excellent eye-
sight. For instance, many rodents prefer to come out and forage at this time thinking the failing light
will keep them safe from the prying eyes of predators.

*Subfamily Accipitrinae: Genus Accipiter (true hawks)
African goshawk, Eurasian goshawk, New Britain goshawk, Sulawesi goshawk,
American goshawk, Fiji goshawk, New Britain sparrowhawk, Vinous-breasted sparrow-
Besra, Frances's sparrowhawk, Nicobar sparrowhawk, hawk,
Bicolored hawk Grey goshawk, Ovambo sparrowhawk, White-bellied goshawk,
Black sparrowhawk Grey-bellied hawk, Pied goshawk,
Brown goshawk, Grey-headed goshawk, Plain-breasted hawk, Genus Erythrotriorchis
Chestnut-flanked spar- Gundlach's hawk, Red-chested goshawk,
rowhawk, Henst's goshawk, Red-thighed sparrowhawk, Chestnut-shouldered gos-
Chinese sparrowhawk, Imitator sparrowhawk, Rufous-chested sparrow- hawk,
Christmas goshawk, Japanese sparrowhawk, hawk,
Collared sparrowhawk, Levant sparrowhawk, Rufous-necked sparrow- Red goshawk,

Cooper's hawk, Little sparrowhawk, hawk,
Crested goshawk, Madagascar sparrowhawk, Rufous-thighed hawk, Genus Megatriorchis
Dwarf sparrowhawk, Moluccan goshawk, Sharp-shinned hawk, Doria's goshawk,
Eurasian sparrowhawk Meyer's goshawk, Shikra,