13-422: The Accipitridae ( / ˌ æ k s ɪ ˈ p ɪ t r ɪ d iː , - d eɪ / ) is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes , and is a family of small to large birds of prey 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 few feeding on fruit. The Accipitridae have
26-410: A cosmopolitan distribution , being found on all the world's continents (except Antarctica ) and a number of oceanic island groups. Some species are migratory . The family contains 256 species which are divided into 12 subfamilies and 75 genera . Many well-known birds such as hawks , eagles , kites , harriers and Old World vultures are included in this group. The osprey is usually placed in
39-554: A lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching a consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called
52-644: A separate family ( Pandionidae ), as is the secretary bird ( Sagittariidae ), and the New World vultures are also usually now regarded as a separate family or order. Karyotype data indicate the accipitrids analysed are indeed a distinct monophyletic group. In the past the accipitrids have been variously divided into some five to ten subfamilies . Most share a very similar morphology , but many of these groups contain taxa that are more aberrant. These were placed in their respective position more for lack of better evidence than anything else. The phylogenetic layout of
65-499: Is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family— or whether a described family should be acknowledged— is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging a family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to
78-480: Is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae , but that family
91-466: The Genera Plantarum of George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker this word ordo was used for what now is given the rank of family. Families serve as valuable units for evolutionary, paleontological, and genetic studies due to their relatively greater stability compared to lower taxonomic levels like genera and species. Spilornis Spilornis is a genus of bird of prey in
104-521: The family Accipitridae . As adults all have dark crowns, and bright yellow eyes and cere. These medium-sized raptors are found in forests of southern Asia and are known as serpent-eagles , an English name shared with two African species from the genera Dryotriorchis and Eutriorchis . Greek : σπιλος spilos "spot"; ορνις ornis , ορνιθος ornithos "bird". As traditionally defined, there are 6 species in this genus. It has been proposed that several small island populations, usually included in
117-2482: The Accipiridae shown below is based on a densely sampled molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae by Therese Catanach and collaborators that was published in 2024. 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). Gampsonyx – pearl kite Chelictinia – scissor-tailed kite Elanus – kites (4 species) Polyboroides – harrier-hawks (2 species) Gypohierax – palm-nut vulture Neophron – Egyptian vulture Gypaetus – bearded vulture Eutriorchis – Madagascar serpent eagle (placement uncertain) Chondrohierax – kites (2 species) Leptodon – kites (2 species) Aviceda – bazas and cuckoo-hawks (5 species) Pernis – honey buzzards (4 species) Elanoides – swallow-tailed kite Hamirostra – black-breasted buzzard Lophoictinia – square-tailed kite Henicopernis – honey buzzards (2 species) Spilornis – serpent eagles (6 species) Pithecophaga – Philippine eagle Terathopius – Bateleur Circaetus – snake eagles (6 species) + Dryotriorchis spectabilis Congo serpent eagle Necrosyrtes – hooded vulture Gyps – vultures (8 species) Sarcogyps – red-headed vulture Trigonoceps – white-headed vulture Torgos – lappet-faced vulture Aegypius – cinereous vulture Stephanoaetus – crowned eagle (placement uncertain) Nisaetus – hawk-eagles (10 species) Spizaetus – hawk-eagle (4 species) Lophotriorchis – rufous-bellied eagle Polemaetus – martial eagle Lophaetus – long-crested eagle Ictinaetus – black eagle Clanga – spotted eagles (3 species) Hieraaetus – eagles (5 species) Aquila – eagles (11 species) Harpyopsis – Papuan eagle Macheiramphus – bat hawk Morphnus – crested eagle Harpia – harpy eagle Lophospiza – goshawks (2 species, formerly in Accipiter ) Micronisus – gabar goshawk Urotriorchis – long-tailed hawk Melierax – chanting goshawks (3 species) Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae )
130-524: The accipitrids was historically a matter of dispute. Molecular studies have removed the phylogenetic uncertainty for most of the species. The accipitrids are recognizable by a peculiar rearrangement of their chromosomes . Apart from this, morphology and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data give a confusing picture of these birds' inter-relationships. The hawks , kites , eagles and Old World vultures as presently assigned in all likelihood do not form monophyletic groups. The genus level cladogram of
143-530: The family as a rank intermediate between order and genus was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). In nineteenth-century works such as the Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and
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#1732844369262156-567: The seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted
169-541: The use of this term solely within the book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). In zoology ,
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