Hawk
Hawk is a common name for some small to medium-sized diurnal birds of prey, widely distributed and varying greatly in size. ▪ 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. ▪ The subfamily Accipitrinae contains
Accipiter; it also contains genera
Micronisus,
Urotriorchis, and
Megatriorchis.
Melierax may be included in the subfamily, or given a subfamily of its own.
Erythrotriorchis is traditionally included in Accipitrinae, but is possibly a convergent genus from an unrelated group. ▪ In the Americas, members of the large genus
Buteo are also called hawks; these are called buzzards in other parts of the world. Generally buteos have broad wings and sturdy builds. They are relatively larger winged, shorter-tailed and soar more extensively in open areas than accipiters, descending or pouncing on their prey rather than making fast horizontal pursuit.