Accipiter
Encyclopedia
The genus
Accipiter is a group of birds of prey
in the family Accipitridae
, many of which are named as goshawk
s and sparrowhawks. They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen
. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large procoracoid foramen and are also distinct as regards DNA sequence
. They may warrant separation in the old genus Hieraspiza.
These birds are slender with short broad rounded wings and a long tail which helps them manoeuvre in flight. They have long legs and long sharp talons used to kill their prey, and a sharp hooked bill used in feeding. Females tend to be larger than males. They often ambush their prey, mainly small birds and mammals, capturing it after a short chase. The typical flight pattern is a series of flaps followed by a short glide. They are commonly found in wooded or shrubby areas.
An Accipiter was seen on 12 March 1994 south of the summit of Camiguin
in the Philippines
, where the genus was not known to occur. It may have been an undescribed taxon
, but more likely it was not; it could simply have been a vagrant of a known species.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Accipiter is a group of birds of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
in the family Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds 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...
, many of which are named as goshawk
Goshawk (disambiguation)
-Bird species:* Species of birds of prey, mainly in the genus Accipiter:** Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis** Crested Goshawk, Accipiter trivirgatus** Sulawesi Goshawk, Accipiter griseiceps** Red-chested Goshawk, Accipiter toussenelii...
s and sparrowhawks. They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen
Foramen
In anatomy, a foramen is any opening. Foramina inside the body of humans and other animals typically allow muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, or other structures to connect one part of the body with another.-Skull:...
. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large procoracoid foramen and are also distinct as regards DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
. They may warrant separation in the old genus Hieraspiza.
These birds are slender with short broad rounded wings and a long tail which helps them manoeuvre in flight. They have long legs and long sharp talons used to kill their prey, and a sharp hooked bill used in feeding. Females tend to be larger than males. They often ambush their prey, mainly small birds and mammals, capturing it after a short chase. The typical flight pattern is a series of flaps followed by a short glide. They are commonly found in wooded or shrubby areas.
Species in taxonomic order
- Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus
- Grey-bellied Hawk, Accipiter poliogaster
- Crested GoshawkCrested GoshawkThe Crested Goshawk is a bird of prey from tropical Asia. It is related to other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers, and thus placed in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
, Accipiter trivirgatus - Sulawesi GoshawkSulawesi GoshawkThe Sulawesi Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Accipiter griseiceps - Red-chested GoshawkRed-chested GoshawkThe Red-chested Goshawk is a hawk of West Africa. It is often considered conspecific with the African Goshawk.-Range and habitat:...
, Accipiter toussenelii - African GoshawkAfrican GoshawkThe African Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.As defined here following the Handbook of the Birds of the World, it is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,...
, Accipiter tachiro - Chinese Sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis
- Frances's SparrowhawkFrances's SparrowhawkFrances' Goshawk is a small hawk. The nominate subspecies, A. f. francesiae, is endemic to Madagascar. The race from Anjouan, Accipiter francesiae pusillus is possibly extinct....
, Accipiter francesiae- Anjouan Sparrowhawk, Accipiter francesiae pusillus
- Spot-tailed Sparrowhawk, Accipiter trinotatus
- Grey GoshawkGrey GoshawkThe Grey Goshawk, Accipiter novaehollandiae, the white morph of which is known as the White Goshawk, is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
, Accipiter novaehollandiae - Brown GoshawkBrown GoshawkThe Brown Goshawk is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands.- Description:...
, Accipiter fasciatus- Christmas Goshawk, Accipiter (fasciatus) natalis
- Black-mantled GoshawkBlack-mantled GoshawkThe Black-mantled Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Accipiter melanochlamys - Pied GoshawkPied GoshawkThe Pied Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Accipiter albogularis - Fiji GoshawkFiji GoshawkThe Fiji Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It was once considered to be the same species as the Brown Goshawk of Australia and New Caledonia. It is endemic to Fiji, where it occurs on the larger islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu, Gau and Ovalau...
, Accipiter rufitorques - White-bellied GoshawkWhite-bellied GoshawkThe White-bellied Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia...
, Accipiter haplochrous - Moluccan GoshawkMoluccan GoshawkThe Moluccan Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Accipiter henicogrammus - Grey-headed GoshawkGrey-headed GoshawkThe Grey-headed Goshawk, Accipiter poliocephalus, is a lightly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Identification:...
, Accipiter poliocephalus - New Britain GoshawkNew Britain GoshawkThe New Britain Goshawk is a bird of prey species in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea....
, Accipiter princeps - Black Sparrowhawk, Accipiter melanoleucus
- Henst's GoshawkHenst's GoshawkHenst's Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and plantations.It is threatened by...
, Accipiter henstii - Meyer's GoshawkMeyer's GoshawkMeyer's Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands....
, Accipiter meyerianus - Chestnut-flanked SparrowhawkChestnut-flanked SparrowhawkThe Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, and Uganda....
, Accipiter castanilius
- Nicobar SparrowhawkNicobar SparrowhawkThe Nicobar Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. There are two subspecies, the nominate race which is found on Car Nicobar in the north of the archipelago, and A. b. obsoletus, from Katchal and Camorta in the central...
, Accipiter butleri - Levant SparrowhawkLevant SparrowhawkThe Levant Sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers....
, Accipiter brevipes - Slaty-mantled Goshawk, Accipiter luteoschistaceus
- Imitator Goshawk, Accipiter imitator
- Red-thighed SparrowhawkRed-thighed SparrowhawkThe Red-thighed Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria,...
, Accipiter erythropus - Little SparrowhawkLittle SparrowhawkThe Little Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,...
, Accipiter minullus - Japanese SparrowhawkJapanese SparrowhawkThe Japanese Sparrowhawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers....
, Accipiter gularis - Dwarf Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nanus
- Rufous-necked SparrowhawkRufous-necked SparrowhawkThe Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Accipiter erythrauchen - Collared SparrowhawkCollared SparrowhawkThe Collared Sparrowhawk is a small, slim bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia, and New Guinea and nearby smaller islands.- Description :...
, Accipiter cirrocephalus - New Britain SparrowhawkNew Britain SparrowhawkThe New Britain Sparrowhawk is a threatened species of bird of prey. It is endemic to two Papua New Guinea islands, New Britain and New Ireland. Even in 1934 Ernst Mayr, in his survey of mountain bird life during the Whitney South Sea Expedition, found the New Britain Sparrowhawk to be very rare...
, Accipiter brachyurus - Vinous-breasted SparrowhawkVinous-breasted SparrowhawkThe Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia....
, Accipiter rhodogaster - Madagascar SparrowhawkMadagascar SparrowhawkThe Madagascar Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is endemic to Madagascar...
, Accipiter madagascariensis - Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Accipiter ovampensis
- Rufous-chested SparrowhawkRufous-chested SparrowhawkThe Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk , also known as the Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family...
, Accipiter rufiventris - ShikraShikraThe Shikra is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the Little Banded Goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the Shikra...
, Accipiter badius - Tiny HawkTiny HawkThe Tiny Hawk is a small diurnal bird of prey found in or near forests, primarily humid, throughout much of the Neotropics. It is primarily a bird-eater, and is known to prey on hummingbirds....
, Accipiter superciliosus – may belong in Hieraspiza - Semicollared HawkSemicollared HawkThe Semi-collared Hawk is a bird of prey species of in the Accipitridae family. Usually named Accipiter collaris, it is the sister species of the Tiny Hawk . The latter is the only species of the genus Accipiter yet studied which has a large procoracoid foramen...
, Accipiter collaris – may belong in Hieraspiza - Sharp-shinned HawkSharp-shinned HawkThe Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small hawk. In fact, "sharp-shins" or "sharpies" are the smallest to reside in USA and Canada, though some Neotropical species are smaller...
, Accipiter striatus- White-breasted Hawk, Accipiter striatus chionogaster
- Plain-breasted Hawk, Accipiter striatus ventralis
- Rufous-thighed Hawk, Accipiter striatus erythronemius
- Cooper's HawkCooper's HawkCooper's Hawk is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Canada to Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female...
, Accipiter cooperii - Gundlach's HawkGundlach's HawkThe Gundlach's Hawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Cuba.Its natural habitats are dry forests and lowland moist forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:*...
, Accipiter gundlachi - Bicolored Hawk, Accipiter bicolor
- Chilean HawkChilean HawkThe Chilean Hawk is a bird of prey species belonging to the typical hawks. It breeds in Andes forests from central Chile and western Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego, from sea level to 2,700 m altitude...
, Accipiter (bicolor) chilensis
- Chilean Hawk
- BesraBesraThe Besra, Accipiter virgatus, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.The Besra is a widespread resident breeder in dense forests throughout south Asia from Pakistan and India to south China and Indonesia. It nests in trees, building a new nest each year...
, Accipiter virgatus
An Accipiter was seen on 12 March 1994 south of the summit of Camiguin
Camiguin
Camiguin is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of Misamis Oriental in Mindanao. It is the second-smallest province both in population and land area after Batanes...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where the genus was not known to occur. It may have been an undescribed taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
, but more likely it was not; it could simply have been a vagrant of a known species.