Falcons versus Hawks

Ever wondered what the difference is between a hawk and a falcon? Did you know that not all hawks are hawks and some falcons are considered to be hawks. In this post, we look at what exactly a hawk and a falcon is, what the differences and maybe which is best. What is a hawk? The family ofAccipitridaeare Hawks, Kites, Eagles and Allies. According to the American Birding Association, within this family are 20 species of bird with the name ‘hawk’. This includes the Chinese Sparrowhawk, Northern Goshawk and 17 other hawks. However, there are only actually 3 species oftrue hawk. They are: Northern Goshawk Sharp-shinned Hawk The other raptors named ‘hawk’ are actuallybuteo. In other countries they would be referred to as buzzards. They generally are of stouter bodies and broader wings than the slimmer looking true hawks. For our purposes, and because it is how we view these birds in the United States, we are including all the true hawks and named hawks in our investigation. What is a falcon? We have a similar naming issue with the falcons. Thefalconidaefamily contain falcons and caracara. Birds with the word falcon in their name number 7 out of a total 12 species in the group. However, we discount the vagrants and must include the non-falcon named birds, which are the Merlin and the American Kestrel. We still net out at 7 species and these are: American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Aplomado Falcon Comparing Falcons and Hawks There are lots of generalizations that are often made when comparing hawks and falcons. For instance, if you google the difference between them, the number one fact is that hawks are much larger than falcons. If you compare the American Kestrel with the Red-tailed Hawk, then this is certainly true. The American Kestrel is about

Ever wondered what the difference is between a hawk and a falcon?