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Accipitrinae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

True hawk
Sharp-shinned hawk
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Accipitrinae
Genera

4 genera. See below.

Shikra Accipiter badius feeding on a garden lizard in Hyderabad, India.

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.

Hawks, including the accipitrines, are believed to have vision several times sharper than humans, in part because of the great number of photoreceptor cells 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.

The genus level cladogram of the Accipitrinae shown below is based on a molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae by Therese Catanach and collaborators that was published in 2024.[1] The number of species in each genus is based on the list maintained by Frank Gill, Pamela C. Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC).[2]

Accipitrinae

Micronisus – gabar goshawk

Urotriorchis – long-tailed hawk

Melierax – chanting goshawks (3 species)

Kaupifalco – lizard buzzard

Aerospiza – sparrowhawk, goshawks (3 species, formerly in Accipiter)

Tachyspiza – goshawks, sparrowhawks (27 species, formerly in Accipiter)

Erythrotriorchis – goshawks (2 species)

Accipiter – hawks, sparrowhawks (9 species)

Astur – hawks, sparrowhawk, goshawks (9 species, formerly in Accipiter)

Megatriorchis – Doria's goshawk

Circus – harriers (16 species)

Species in taxonomic order

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Several genera or species formerly classified in this subfamily, such as Micronisus, Urotriorchis, Microspizias, and Circus, have since been moved out of Accipitrinae following phylogenetic studies. In contrast, other genera such as Lophospiza have since been reclassified into Accipitrinae.[3][4]

Hawks and humans

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Hawks are sometimes used in falconry, a sport in which trained birds of prey are flown at small game for sport.

References

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  1. ^ Catanach, T.A.; Halley, M.R.; Pirro, S. (2024). "Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society: blae028. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blae028.
  2. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  3. ^ Starikov, I. J.; Wink, M. (2020). "Starikov, I. J., & Wink, M. (2020). Old and Cosmopolite: Molecular Phylogeny of Tropical–Subtropical Kites (Aves: Elaninae) with Taxonomic Implications". Diversity. 12 (9). doi:10.3390/d12090327.
  4. ^ Sangster, George; Kirwan, Guy M.; Fuchs, Jérôme; Dickinson, Edward C.; Elliott, Andy; Gregory, Steven M. S. (2021-02-08). "A new genus for the tiny hawk Accipiter superciliosus and semicollared hawk A. collaris (Aves: Accipitridae), with comments on the generic name for the crested goshawk A. trivirgatus and Sulawesi goshawk A. griseiceps". Vertebrate Zoology. 71: 419–424. doi:10.3897/vz.71.e67501. ISSN 2625-8498.
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