Interesting Facts About Hawks (What’s a “True Hawk”?)

by Kevin F.

Hawks belong to the family Accipitridae, which consists of 255 species split into 70 genera.

Close-up of Eurasian Sparrowhawk. — Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus).

The Accipitridae family is a big umbrella that not only includes diminutive kites, with the pearl kite only reaching 9 inches (23 cm) in length, but also eagles, true hawks, harriers, buzzards, and Old World vultures.

So, what exactly do we mean when we talk about hawks?

“True hawks” usually refers to the subfamily Accipitrinae (note the letter “n” instead of “d”), which includes goshhawks, sparrowhawks, and sharp-shinned hawks.

Most true hawks are in the genus Accipiter, but closerly related genera—Microspizias, Erythrotriorchis, and Megatriorchis—are also considered true hawks.

If you live in California, you might be more familiar with red-tailed hawks, but oddly enough red-tailed hawks are not considered true hawks; they are actually members of the Buteo genus, which are often called “buzzards” outside the US.

For the sake of clarity, the terms “accipitrine hawks” and “buteonine hawks” are used to distinguish between the two groups of birds of prey.

Behavior differences are also used to distinguish the two types of hawks; Buteo hawks are sometimes referred to as soaring hawks, while Accipiter hawks are known as forest hawks.

Basically, the word “hawk” can refer to a wide range of birds of prey, but, in general, people seem to use “hawk” to mean any Accipitrid that is not an eagle.

Table of Contents

Is a Hawk a Raptor?

The short answer is yes, hawks are considered to be raptors.

But, there is no universal agreement among birders, and those who study birds, about which birds should be included under the term, “raptor.”

In general, all raptors have:

a hooked beak
a pair of sharp talons
keen eyesight
a carnivorous diet

Hawks possess these characteristics so they are considered raptors, but other birds of prey also share the above features.

According to the Bureau of Land Management, the following birds are raptors:

Eagles
Buteos
Accipiters
Harriers
Ospreys
Falcons
Vultures
Owls
Kites

What’s a Group of Hawks Called?

A group of Galapagos Hawks sitting on cacti. — A group of Galapagos Hawks.

If you’ve been observing hawks soaring overhead, gliding along thermals, or circling gracefully, you may be wondering what to call a group of two or more hawks.

You may have heard of a “murder of crows,” which is simply a large group of crows.

Hawks also possess their own collective nouns:

A kettle of hawks refers to a group of hawks riding thermals (currents of warm air rising upwards).

So, you might say something like, “look at that kettle of hawks gliding overhead” if you were using it in a sentence.

In the context of using hawks to capture game, a pair of hawks is referred to as a cast of hawks.

Finally, a group of three hawks is called a leash.

History Of Terms for a Group of Hawks

The collective nouns, cast, leash, and flight appeared in the renowned 15^th century book, The Book of St Albans, which was one of the first books to list the collective nouns for various animals.

The term cast is hunting or sporting lingo in falconry and/or hawking and refers to casting (releasing) a pair of birds from the fist.

The word leash is similar, but refers to a group of three or more hawks. The term Leash was also used as a collective noun for merlins, or the ‘ladies falcon.’

Interestingly, a group of goshawks is referred to as a flight of goshawks because they were ‘let fly’ instead of cast from the fist during a hunt.

Do Hawks Hunt in Groups?

A pair of Harris Hawks sitting on a branch. — A pair of Harris Hawks.

In general, raptors, like hawks, are solitary hunters. Peregrine Falcons, Golden Eagles, have been observed hunting in pairs, but not in larger groups.

But, two types of hawks do use teamwork when hunting. One of them is the Galapagos hawk, and the other is there is the Harris Hawk.

In fact, an avian ecologist, named James Bednarz, observed Harris Hawks in New Mexico gathering at first light, splitting up into two groups, and advancing one group at a time, until they find prey.

Once Harris Hawks spot something of interest, like a rabbit, they employ hunting tactics, such as surprising their target from different directions or having two of the hawks scare the prey out of hiding into an area where the rest of the hawks are waiting.

Galapagos Hawks hunt in small groups as well, signaling to each other when they spot prey.

Do Hawks Hunt at Night?

In general, hawks are diurnal hunters, meaning they hunt during the day, which typically means any time from dawn till dusk.

But, there is one member of the Accipotridae family that is considered somewhat nocturnal.

The Letter-Winged Kite (Elanus scriptus), only found in Australia, hunts at dusk and into the night, making it the only nocturnal hawk species.

A Nighthawk is Not a Hawk and Not Strictly Nocturnal

Nighthawk sitting in the sun. — Common Nighthawk in sunlight.

“Nighthawks” belong to subfamily Chordeilinae, which is a part of the larger Nightjar family, Caprimulgidae.

Despite having “hawk” as part of their name, nighthawks are not closely related to hawks and do not share much in common behaviorally either.

Nighthawks are insect hunters and catch their prey in flight.

Nighthawks are often active at dawn and dusk, and are sometimes spotted sitting on the ground when night has fallen.

Whether nighthawks are “nocturnal” appears to be somewhat unsettled online.

Wikipedia identifies these birds nocturnal, while Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website states that nighthawks are “not strictly nocturnal.”

My research suggests that Cornell Lab has the stronger position as nighthawks do not exclusively hunt at night, although they appear to be somewhat active well past the point of the sun setting.

Conclusion

I hope you learned something new about hawks today.

If someone asks you what makes a hawk truly a hawk, you can explain that there are actually multiple genera of birds that we commonly refer to as hawks, but only a few are considered “true hawks.”

Depending on who you are talking to the conversation will either become more engaging or end abruptly.

If you love hawks, read my article on what makes red-tailed hawks so interesting (you’ve likely heard their call in movies).

And, check out my article on interesting facts about wild birds if you love learning new things that you can use to impress your friends.

Or, read my tips for taking sharper photos of birds if you enjoy bird photography like I do.