Now that we have cleared up some taxonomy, let’s get into the nature facts. For example, what Americans call hawks, which belong to the sub-family Buteoninae, are called buzzards in Europe, Africa, and Asia. In fact, without these scientific names, there would be a lot of confusion. These are a lot of Latin names, but what’s important is just to remember that hawks and eagles belong to different groups. This group includes the Golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) which ranges across much of the Northern half of our planet. After all, Aquila is the Latin word for eagle. Those pants are how they got their name, looking like boots on the birds’ legs when they’re in the flight.įinally, the booted eagles, also known as true eagles, belong to the genera Hieraaetus and Aquila. Note the adorable fluffy “pants” covering this one’s legs. The booted eagles The booted eagle ( Aquila pennata) is, as you might imagine, the best example of the “booted eagles”. Harpy eagles are one of the largest raptors in the world. This captive harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja), a giant forest eagle displays the huge, formidable talons with which it takes down larger mammal prey in the wild. These tend to be big, scary, and found in tropical rainforests. If you’ve ever seen footage of a Harpy eagle ( Harpia harpyja) carrying off 20+pound (~10kg) monkeys, then you know how this group gets its name. These monstrous raptors are primarily in the genera Morphnus and Harpia. Next up, we have the giant forest eagles. I was lucky enough to see that species, the short-toed snake eagle ( Circaetus gallicus) during my field research at Doñana National Park in 2019. They are mainly found on the African continent, but one migratory species breeds well up into Europe and Western Asia. The snake eagles, like those of the genus Circaetus, are medium sized and as you probably guessed (two in a row!), they often eat reptiles. Many related fish-eating eagles have white-feathered heads. This African fish eagle ( Haliaeetus vocifer) is a close cousin of the American bald eagle ( H. These include the Bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the massive Steller’s sea eagle that wowed birdwatchers across the Eastern US last year. The fish eagles in the genus Haliaeetus often have white heads, and, you guessed it, catch and eat fish. Let’s learn a little about what makes each of these groups special, how to tell them apart, and where to find them. On the other hand, eagles belong to four main sub-groups of the raptor family, which are primarily genera: Meanwhile, in Europe and Asia, the Common buzzard ( Buteo buteo) is much more familiar. For American readers, the widespread Red-tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis) is a classic example. On the other hand, the Buteoninae are bulkier, slower, and tend to eat larger prey, including small mammals like voles and mice. Many species hunt in open areas with nearby forest, and spend a lot of time perched in high places looking down. Hawks in the genus Buteo are heavier-built, have stout wings, and tend to hunt mammals. The Accipitrinae are fast and stealthy, with long tails and a penchant for eating other birds. Specifically, hawks belong to two sub-families or tribes within Accipitridae, known as Accipitrinae and Buteoninae. In total, there are around 270 species of what people tend to call hawks. Keep an eye out for them near birdfeeders! The hawks Hawks in the genus Accipiter are small, long-tailed, sneaky raptors that ambush prey from nearby cover. However, what people call eagles and hawks belong to different sub-groups within this larger family. They include some of the largest and heaviest predatory birds in this group. Hawks and eagles both belong to the family Accipitridae, which are mostly birds of prey. This species is a common forest predator in South Asia. The Crested serpent eagle ( Spilornis cheela) is a member of one of several distinct groups of eagles. In this Naturalist Answers post, let’s explore the differences between hawks and eagles. Sooner or later, someone asks, “”well, is that a hawk or an eagle?” or, when I answer, they ask “well how did you know that?” As you’ll see, it’s not as simple as it might seem. Dazzled by some large bird of prey, we’ll admire it through our binoculars for a while. The difference between hawks and eagles comes up often when I take people birding.
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