Accipitriformes

Accipitriformes
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Families	Accipitridae Cathartidae Pandionidae Sagittariidae
Population statistics

Accipitriformes is an order of birds consisting of the diurnal birds of prey, the hawks, eagles, and their allies.

Description

Accipitriforme birds consist of 74 genera and 266 species within four families. They bear a superficial appearance to each other, i.e. sharp hooked beaks, strong clawed feet, robust bodies and long, usually broad wings. The color of the plumage can be white, gray, brown, black, or a combination of several of these colors. Males are usually smaller than females in size and weight.

• Accipitridae: hawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures
• Cathartidae: New World vultures, condors
• Pandionidae: osprey
• Sagittariidae: secretary bird

Previously, families of this order - including falcons - were placed within the order Falconiformes. Recent studies based on DNA analysis, however, have led ornithologists conclude that falcons are more closely related to parrots and passerine birds than they are to hawks and eagles, resulting in a split away from the Accipitriformes, and the transferring of the name Falconiformes exclusively to falcons and caracaras. Even then, Falconiformes is still used for the group as a whole; one study indicated the monophyly is still uncertain, and retains the original name - and falcons - within the order.

The family Cathartidae has sometimes been placed within the order Ciconiiformes, due to observations that these birds are related to storks, and indicated by the Sibley-Ahlquist (1990, 1993) classification based on DNA hybridization. This approach has never been unanimous among ornithologists, and further genetic studies would support that opinion. Rather than a family within either Accipitriformes or Ciconiiformes, a separate order, Cathartiformes, is sometimes used.