Members of the family Accipitridae show a great deal of variation. Most accipitrids exhibit sexual dimorphism in size, with the females being larger than the males. This sexual difference in size is most pronounced in species that hunt birds, such as Accipiter hawks. In a majority of species, such as generalist hunters and rodent, reptile, fish and insect hunting specialists, the dimorphism is less. The beaks of Accipitrids are strong and hooked. In some species there is a notch or ‘tooth’ in the upper mandible. In all accipitrids the base of the upper mandible is covered by a fleshy membrane called the cere which is usually yellow in color. The tarsi of different | species vary by diet with species that hunt birds having long and thin tarsi, while species that hunt large mammals have much thicker, stronger ones, and have thick scales to protect from bites. The eyes are tube shaped and cannot move much in their sockets. In addition to excellent vision many species have excellent hearing, but sight is generally the principal sense used for hunting. The Accipitridae generally have a poor sense of smell. There are 24 genera and 47 species of birds within the family Accipitridae known to occur in Peru. Photo (left): Variable Hawk by ©Didier Perrocheau. Photo (right): Broad-winged Hawk by ©David Cespedes. |
Family ACCIPITRIDAE | ||
Kites, Hawks, Eagles | Gavilanes, Aguiluchos, Aguilas | |
White-tailed Kite | Elanio de Cola Blanca | Elanus leucurus (H) |
Pearl Kite | Elanio Perla | Gampsonyx swainsonii |
Hook-billed Kite | Elanio de Pico Ganchudo | Chondrohierax uncinatus |
Gray-headed Kite | Elanio de Cabeza Gris | Leptodon cayanensis |
Swallow-tailed Kite | Elanio Tijereta | Elanoides forficatus |
Crested Eagle | Aguila Crestada | Morphnus guianensis |
Harpy Eagle | Aguila Harpía | Harpia harpyja |
Black Hawk-Eagle | Aguila Negra | Spizaetus tyrannus |
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle | Aguila Blanca y Negra | Spizaetus melanoleucus |
Ornate Hawk-Eagle | Aguila Penachuda | Spizaetus ornatus |
Black-and-chestnut Eagle | Aguila Negra y Castaña | Spizaetus isidori |
Black-collared Hawk | Gavilán de Ciénega | Busarellus nigricollis |
Snail Kite | Elanio Caracolero | Rostrhamus sociabilis |
Slender-billed Kite | Elanio de Pico Delgado | Helicolestes hamatus |
Double-toothed Kite | Elanio Bidentado | Harpagus bidentatus |
Mississippi Kite | Elanio de Mississippi | Ictinia mississippiensis (H) |
Plumbeous Kite | Elanio Plomizo | Ictinia plumbea |
Cinereous Harrier | Aguilucho Cenizo | Circus cinereus |
Long-winged Harrier | Aguilucho de Ala Larga | Circus buffoni (H) |
Gray-bellied Hawk | Gavilán de Vientre Gris | Accipiter poliogaster |
Tiny Hawk | Gavilán Enano | Accipiter superciliosus |
Semicollared Hawk | Gavilán Semiacollarado | Accipiter collaris |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | Gavilán Pajarero | Accipiter striatus |
Bicolored Hawk | Gavilán Bicolor | Accipiter bicolor |
Crane Hawk | Gavilán Zancón | Geranospiza caerulescens |
Slate-colored Hawk | Gavilán Pizarroso | Buteogallus schistaceus |
Common Black Hawk | Gavilán Cangrejero | Buteogallus anthracinus |
Savanna Hawk | Gavilán Sabanero | Buteogallus meridionalis |
Great Black Hawk | Gavilán Negro | Buteogallus urubitinga |
Solitary Eagle | Aguila Solitaria | Buteogallus solitarius |
Barred Hawk | Gavilán Barrado | Morphnarchus princeps (H) |
Roadside Hawk | Aguilucho Caminero | Rupornis magnirostris |
Harris’s (Bay-winged) Hawk | Gavilán Mixto | Parabuteo unicinctus |
White-rumped Hawk | Aguilucho de Lomo Blanco | Parabuteo leucorrhous |
White-tailed Hawk | Aguilucho de Cola Blanca | Geranoaetus albicaudatus (H) |
Variable Hawk | Aguilucho Variable | Geranoaetus polyosoma |
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle | Aguilucho de Pecho Negro | Geranoaetus melanoleucus |
White Hawk | Gavilán Blanco | Pseudastur albicollis |
Gray-backed Hawk | Gavilán de Dorso Gris | Pseudastur occidentalis |
Semiplumbeous Hawk | Gavilán Plomizo | Leucopternis semiplumbeus (H) |
Black-faced Hawk | Gavilán de Cara Negra | Leucopternis melanops |
White-browed Hawk | Gavilán de Ceja Blanca | Leucopternis kuhli |
Gray Hawk | Gavilan Gris Lineado | Buteo nitidus |
Broad-winged Hawk | Aguilucho de Ala Ancha | Buteo platypterus (NB) |
White-throated Hawk | Aguilucho de Garganta Blanca | Buteo albigula |
Short-tailed Hawk | Aguilucho de Cola Corta | Buteo brachyurus |
Swainson’s Hawk | Aguilucho de Swainson | Buteo swainsoni (NB) |
Zone-tailed Hawk | Aguilucho de Cola Fajeada | Buteo albonotatus |
PANDIONIDAE: Osprey – Aguila Pescadora | ARAMIDAE: Limpkin – Carrao |