Accipitriformes

order of birds including hawks and eagles

Accipitriformes is an order which includes most of the diurnal birds of prey: hawks, eagles, vultures, and many others, about 225 species in all.

Accipitriformes
Temporal range: Eocene-present, 47–0 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Accipitrimorphae
Order: Accipitriformes
Vieillot, 1816
Families
Diversity map of Accipitriformes (258 species). The colour gradient (from light to dark) indicates species richness.[1]

For a long time, the majority view was to include them with the falcons in the Falconiformes. However, a recent DNA study has shown that falcons are not closely related to the Accipitriformes. Instead, they are related to parrots and passerines.[2]

Since then putting the falcons next to the parrots in taxonomic order has been adopted by most ornithologists. The DNA-based proposal includes the New World vultures in the Accipitriformes,[2] but the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) classifies the New World vultures as a separate order, the Cathartiformes.[3]

References

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  1. Nagy, Jenő (2020). "Biologia Futura: rapid diversification and behavioural adaptation of birds in response to Oligocene–Miocene climatic conditions" (PDF). Biologia Futura. 71 (1–2): 109–121. doi:10.1007/s42977-020-00013-9. PMID 34554530. S2CID 219904689.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Hackett S.J. et al 2008. A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their evolutionary history. Science 320 (5884): 1763–1768. [1]
  3. Remsen J.V. et al 2008. A classification of the bird species of South America (section ACCIPITRIDAE (HAWKS) 3, note 1). Version 11. American Ornithologists' Union. [2]