The Zoochat Photographic Guide To Birds of Prey

TeaLovingDave

TeaLovingDave

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15+ year member
Given the fact that birds of prey are a rather popular group both where zoo-enthusiasts and the general public are concerned - as demonstrated by the large number of falconry centres and other specialist collections focusing on predatory bird species - and moreover, there have been a fair few queries about whether the group will be tackled in one of these threads, I thought this would be a good one to get done next :)
 
Firstly, a little groundwork - the question of how precisely one would define a bird of prey and how closely-related the various species generally lumped under this umbrella actually are is a much-discussed and still somewhat thorny one. For the purposes of this thread, we will ignore the Strigiformes given the fact that these have already been covered elsewhere; this leaves the Falconiformes (falcons and caracaras), the Cathartiformes (New World vultures) and the Accipitriformes (eagles, hawks and Old World vultures) to be considered for inclusion.

Having historically been lumped into a single order under the name Falconiformes, by the 1970s it was suggested that these three groups each represent completely different lineages within the radiation of modern birds whose superficial similarities are due to parallel evolution, with the Cathartiformes suggested to be sister to - or indeed merit inclusion within within - the Ciconiiformes and the Falconiformes suggested to be close kin to the Psittaciformes and Strigiformes. However, in more recent times the advent of more sophisticated morphological and genetic analysis has revealed a number of facts; firstly, the Cathartiformes is in fact close kin to the Accipitriformes, albeit still distinct enough to merit separation; secondly, although the theory that the Strigiformes are kin to the Falconiformes can now be safely dismissed, the latter group does indeed seem to be basal to a group formed by the Psittaciformes and the passerine birds.

As such, in terms of monophyly it would actually be appropriate to create a pair of photographic guides covering birds of prey - one for the falcons and caracaras, and one for both Old and New World vultures, eagles and hawks. However, for the sake of convenience of reference, I feel this is one case where monophyly is not essential.

As such, this thread will cover all of the groups mentioned above barring - as noted - the Strigiformes. As usual, the taxonomy followed will be that found within the Handbook of the Birds of the World, barring one or two points where I will comment on a particular point of contention/debate, but discussion and alternative taxonomic opinion is welcomed! :)
 
ACCIPITRIMORPHAE



This clade comprises two extant orders, and a total of four extant families as follows:


CATHARTIFORMES

CATHARTIDAE - New World Vultures (5 genera, 7 species)


ACCIPITRIFORMES

SAGITTARIIDAE - Secretary Bird (1 monotypic genus)

PANDIONIDAE - Osprey (1 monotypic genus)

ACCIPITRIDAE - Hawks, Eagles and Old World Vultures (69 genera, 248 species)



EUFALCONIMORPHAE



This clade comprises three extant orders, of which only one (containing a single extant family) will be considered here:

FALCONIFORMES

FALCONIDAE - Falcons and Caracaras (11 genera, 64 species)


PASSERIFORMES

(Not covered in this thread)

PSITTACIFORMES

(Not covered in this thread)

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CATHARTIDAE


This family comprises 5 extant genera, as follows:

Cathartes - Turkey Vulture and allies (3 species)

Coragyps - American Black Vulture (monotypic)

Sarcoramphus - King Vulture (monotypic)

Gymnogyps - California Condor (monotypic)

Vultur - Andean Vulture (monotypic)
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Cathartes


Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

The range of this species extends from southernmost Canada in the north, through North and Central America, and throughout the vast majority of South America - absent only from the southeast and east of Argentina. Populations north of the extreme southwest of Texas in the west and Delaware in the east represent summer breeding visitors which winter from the southeast USA to northern South America.

Four subspecies recognised:

C. a. aura - photo by @Kowari

full


C. a. septentrionalis - photo by @Ituri

full


C. a. ruficollis
C. a. jota


Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes burrovianus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout Central and South America, from southeast Mexico in the north to northernmost Argentina, Paraguay and eastern Uruguay in the south; largely absent from the Amazon Basin.

Two subspecies recognised:

C. b. burrovianus - photo by @vogelcommando

full


C. b. urubutinga


Greater Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes melambrotus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of the Amazon Basin and adjacent areas of South America, from southeast Venezuela and the Guianas in the north to central Brazil and northeast Bolivia in the south.

Monotypic.

Photo by @AWP

full

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Coragyps


American Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

The range of this species extends through much of southern North America, and throughout Central and South America, from southern New Mexico in the west and southwest Connecticut in the east, south as far as central Chile and south-central Argentina.

Three subspecies recognised:

C. a. atratus - photo by @ThylacineAlive

full


C. a. brasiliensis - photo by @danianderson

full


C. a. foetens - photo by @Nick@Amsterdam

full

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Gymnogyps


California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)

The range of this species formerly extended throughout the mountains of the Pacific coastline of North America from southwest Canada to northwest Mexico, but rapid decline over the course of the 19th century led to the population becoming restricted to California by the 1930s, and extirpated completely in the wild by the late 1980s; subsequent to captive breeding and reintroduction programmes, populations now exist in southern California, northern Arizona and the extreme northwest of Mexico.

Monotypic.

Photo by @geomorph

full

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SAGITTARIIDAE


This family comprises 1 extant genus, as follows:

Sagittarius - Secretary Bird (monotypic)
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PANDIONIDAE


This family comprises 1 extant genus, as follows:

Pandion - Osprey (monotypic)

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Pandion


Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

The summer breeding range of this species extends throughout much of the northern Holarctic, from Scandinavia and eastern Europe, throughout northern and central Asia to the Russian Far East and Japan, and from here into Alaska, Canada and western USA, with patchy populations in western and central Europe and the Middle East; the wintering range extends throughout much of the southern hemisphere, from northern South America into sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia. Populations in the Greater and Lesser Sundas, New Guinea, coastal Australia and Polynesia are resident.

Four subspecies recognised:

P. h. haliaetus - photo by @Merintia

full


P. h. carolinensis - photo by @Ituri

full


P. h. ridgwayi
P. h. cristatus - photo by @Terry Thomas

full


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ACCIPITRIDAE


This family comprises 69 extant genera, as follows:

Elanus - Blackwinged Kite and allies (4 species)

Gampsonyx - Pearl Kite (monotypic)

Chelictinia - Scissor-tailed Kite (monotypic)

Leptodon - Grey-headed Kite & White-collared Kite (2 species)

Chondrohierax - Cuban Kite and Hook-billed Kite (2 species)

Elanoides - Swallow-tailed Kite (monotypic)

Pernis - True Honey-buzzards (4 species)

Hamirostra - Black-breasted Buzzard (monotypic)

Lophoictinia - Square-tailed Kite (monotypic)

Henicopernis - Long-tailed Honey-buzzard & Black Honey-buzzard (2 species)

Aviceda - Cuckoo-hawks (5 species)

Eutriorchis - Madagascar Serpent-eagle (monotypic)

Polyboroides - Harrier-hawks (2 species)

Gypohierax - Palm-nut Vulture (monotypic)

Gypaetus - Bearded Vulture (monotypic)

Neophron - Egyptian Vulture (monotypic)

Spilornis - True Serpent-eagles (6 species)

Dryotriorchis - Congo Serpent-eagle (monotypic)

Terathopius - Bateleur (monotypic)

Pithecophaga - Philippine Eagle (monotypic)

Circaetus - Snake-eagles (6 species)

Sarcogyps - Red-headed Vulture (monotypic)

Trigonoceps - White-headed Vulture (monotypic)

Necrosyrtes - Hooded Vulture (monotypic)

Gyps - Griffon Vulture and allies (8 species)

Aegypius - Cinereous Vulture (monotypic)

Torgos - Lappet-faced Vulture (monotypic)

Macheiramphus - Bat Hawk (monotypic)

Harpyopsis - Papuan Eagle (monotypic)

Morphnus - Crested Eagle (monotypic)

Harpia - Harpy Eagle (monotypic)

Stephanoaetus - Crowned Eagle (monotypic)

Nisaetus - True Hawk-eagles (9 species)
 
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Lophotriorchis - Rufous-bellied Eagle (monotypic)

Polemaetus - Martial Eagle (monotypic)

Spizaetus - Ornate Hawk-eagle and allies (4 species)

Ictinaetus - Black Eagle (monotypic)

Lophaetus - Long-crested Eagle (monotypic)

Clanga - Spotted Eagles (3 species)

Aquila - True Eagles (11 species)

Hieraaetus - Booted Eagle and allies (5 species)

Kaupifalco - Lizard Buzzard (monotypic)

Melierax - Chanting-goshawks (3 species)

Micronisus - Gabar Goshawk (monotypic)

Harpagus - Double-toothed Kite & Rufous-thighed Kite (monotypic)

Circus - True Harriers (16 species)

Accipiter - Goshawks and Sparrowhawks (48 species)

Erythrotriorchis - Red Goshawk and Chestnut-shouldered Goshawk (2 species)

Megatriorchis - Doria's Goshawk (monotypic)

Urotriorchis - Long-tailed Hawk (monotypic)

Haliaeetus - Sea Eagles (8 species)

Icthyophaga - Fish-eagles (2 species)

Haliastur - Brahminy Kite & Whistling Kite (2 species)

Milvus - True Kites (2 species)

Busarellus - Black-collared Hawk (monotypic)

Geranospiza - Crane Hawk (monotypic)

Butastur - Grasshopper Buzzard and allies (4 species)

Ictinia - Plumbeous Kite & Mississippi Kite (2 species)

Rostrhamus - Snail Kite (monotypic)

Helicolestes - Slender-billed Kite (monotypic)

Rupornis - Roadside Hawk (monotypic)

Parabuteo - Harris' Hawk & White-rumped Hawk (2 species)

Cryptoleucopteryx - Plumbeous Hawk (monotypic)

Buteogallus - Savanna Hawk and allies (9 species)

Morphnarchus - Barred Hawk (monotypic)

Geranoaetus - Variable Hawk and allies (3 species)

Pseudastur - Mantled Hawk and allies (3 species)

Leucopternis - Black-faced Hawk and allies (3 species)

Buteo - True Buzzards (27 species)

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Elanus


Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

The range of this species extends throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the southwest Arabian Peninsula, and patchily to the north in a highly fragmented distribution through the Nile Valley and northwest Africa into the Iberian Peninsula and southern France, and from the Indian Subcontinent throughout southeast Asia into Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, and from here throughout the Greater and Lesser Sundas into New Guinea.

Four subspecies recognised:

E. c. caeruleus - photo by @Maguari

full


E. c. vociferus - photo by @LaughingDove

full


E. c. hypoleucus
E. c. wahgiensis


Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)

The range of this species extends throughout Australia.

Monotypic.

Photo by @nanoboy

full



White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout western and southern USA into Mexico and Central America, and from here throughout much of South America outside the Amazon Basin and the Andes, extending as far southwest as central Chile and southeast as east-central Argentina.

Two subspecies recognised:

E. l. majusculus - photo by @snowleopard

full


E. l. leucurus


Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus)

The range of this species extends throughout east-central Australia, from interior Northern Territory and southwest Queensland to northern South Australia and adjacent New South Wales, with occasional irruptions beyond this range throughout Australia barring the arid deserts of the west and tropical forests of the northeast.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present within the Zoochat gallery.

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TeaLovingDave said:
Cathartes


Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

The range of this species extends from southernmost Canada in the north, through North and Central America, and throughout the vast majority of South America - absent only from the southeast and east of Argentina. Populations north of the extreme southwest of Texas in the west and Delaware in the east represent summer breeding visitors which winter from the southeast USA to northern South America.

Four subspecies recognised:

C. a. aura - photo by @Kowari

full


C. a. septentrionalis - photo by @Vision

full


C. a. ruficollis
C. a. jota


Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes burrovianus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout Central and South America, from southeast Mexico in the north to northernmost Argentina, Paraguay and eastern Uruguay in the south; largely absent from the Amazon Basin.

Two subspecies recognised:

C. b. burrovianus - photo by @vogelcommando

full


C. b. urubutinga


Greater Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes melambrotus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of the Amazon Basin and adjacent areas of South America, from southeast Venezuela and the Guianas in the north to central Brazil and northeast Bolivia in the south.

Monotypic.

Photo by @AWP

full

.
Click to expand...

I have a picture if a jota Turkey vulture from the Falklands which I will upload in 2 weeks or so when I am back home.
 
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