A lion, rabbit, hawk, all gather around the tree for a meeting held by the owl.

Animals Gathering

A lion, rabbit, hawk, all gather around the tree for a meeting held by the owl.

A frame with many different species of birds.

Bird Frame

A frame with many different species of birds.

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Buzzard

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

"<em>B. vulgaris</em> is twenty-two inches long, the head is large and the body heavy. Above, the color is chocolate-brown; grayish-white beneath. Its flight is low, and much of its time is spent in sitting on trees, in wooded districts, awaiting its prey, which consists of small quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, insects, and earthworms." &mdash Goodrich, 1859

Common Buzzard of Europe

"B. vulgaris is twenty-two inches long, the head is large and the body heavy. Above, the color…

"Rough-Legged Buzzard, (Archibuteo lagopus)."-Whitney, 1902

Rough Legged Buzzard

"Rough-Legged Buzzard, (Archibuteo lagopus)."-Whitney, 1902

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Caracara

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Caracara

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

The specific name of a lory of the Moluccas.

Domicella

The specific name of a lory of the Moluccas.

Foot of the royal eagle

Foot of the Royal Eagle

Foot of the royal eagle

Falcons are a group of birds of prey that vary in size from the falconet to the gyrefalcon. They can fly at 200 mph in order to catch their prey.

Falcon

Falcons are a group of birds of prey that vary in size from the falconet to the gyrefalcon. They can…

A Peregrine falcon perched atop a rock, with mountains in the background.

Peregrine Falcon

A Peregrine falcon perched atop a rock, with mountains in the background.

"The Falcon is a famous bird of prey. It is characterized by a bill curved from the base."

The Falcon

"The Falcon is a famous bird of prey. It is characterized by a bill curved from the base."

A high-born, noblewoman rides a stallion while holding a falcon perched on her right hand. She is wearing a falconry glove and holds the horses reins in her left hand. She is wearing the traditional dress for the upper class during the late Middle Ages, or Medieval period, including a piece of fabric wrapped over her head and down around her neck. The ends of the fabric fly out over her shoulders as she rides. Only the front hooves of the horse are visible. A man on horseback follows her in the background.

Falconry as Practiced by a Noblewoman of the Middle Ages on Horseback

A high-born, noblewoman rides a stallion while holding a falcon perched on her right hand. She is wearing…

"Falco peregrinus. Peregrine Falcon. Duck Hawk. Great-footed Hawk. A medium-sized falcon, about as large as the foregoing, but known at a glance from any bird of N. Am. by the slaty-plumbeous or dark bluish-ash of the upper parts, the black "moustache," and other marks, taken with its particular size and shape. Wings stiff, long, thin, pointed by the 2d quill, supported nearly to its tip by 1st and 3d; 1st quill alone abruptly emarginate on inner web, this about 2 inches from its tip; none cut on outer webs. Tomium of upper mandible strongly toothed, of under mandible deeply notched. Tarsus feathered but a little way down in front, otherwise entirely reticulate; toes very long, giving great grasp to the talons. Adult: Above rich dark bluish-ash or slate-color, very variable, sometimes quite slaty-blackish, again much lighter bluish-slate; the tint pretty uniform, whatever it may be, over all the upper parts, but all the feathers with somewhat paler edges, and the larger ones for the most part obscurely barred with lighter and darker hues. Under parts at large varying from nearly pure white to a peculiar muddy buff color of different degrees of intensity; the throat and breast usually free from markings (or only with a few sharp shaft pencillings), and this white or light color mounting on the auriculars, so that it partly isolates a blackish moustache from the blackish of the side of the head; the under parts, except as said, and including the under wing- and tail-coverts closely and regularly barred, or less closely and more irregularly spotted, with blackish; the bars best pronounced on the flanks, tibiae, and crissum, other parts tending to spotting, which may extend forward to invade the breast (this is the rule in European birds, the exception, though not a rare one, in American birds). Tail and its upper coverts regularly and closely barred with blackish and ashy-gray, the interspacing best marked on the inner webs, and all the feathers narrowly tipped with white or whitish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Two Peregrine Falcons

"Falco peregrinus. Peregrine Falcon. Duck Hawk. Great-footed Hawk. A medium-sized falcon, about as large…

"Falco peregrinus. Peregrine Falcon. Duck Hawk. Great-footed Hawk. A medium-sized falcon, about as large as the foregoing, but known at a glance from any bird of N. Am. by the slaty-plumbeous or dark bluish-ash of the upper parts, the black "moustache," and other marks, taken with its particular size and shape. Wings stiff, long, thin, pointed by the 2d quill, supported nearly to its tip by 1st and 3d; 1st quill alone abruptly emarginate on inner web, this about 2 inches from its tip; none cut on outer webs. Tomium of upper mandible strongly toothed, of under mandible deeply notched. Tarsus feathered but a little way down in front, otherwise entirely reticulate; toes very long, giving great grasp to the talons. Adult: Above rich dark bluish-ash or slate-color, very variable, sometimes quite slaty-blackish, again much lighter bluish-slate; the tint pretty uniform, whatever it may be, over all the upper parts, but all the feathers with somewhat paler edges, and the larger ones for the most part obscurely barred with lighter and darker hues. Under parts at large varying from nearly pure white to a peculiar muddy buff color of different degrees of intensity; the throat and breast usually free from markings (or only with a few sharp shaft pencillings), and this white or light color mounting on the auriculars, so that it partly isolates a blackish moustache from the blackish of the side of the head; the under parts, except as said, and including the under wing- and tail-coverts closely and regularly barred, or less closely and more irregularly spotted, with blackish; the bars best pronounced on the flanks, tibiae, and crissum, other parts tending to spotting, which may extend forward to invade the breast (this is the rule in European birds, the exception, though not a rare one, in American birds). Tail and its upper coverts regularly and closely barred with blackish and ashy-gray, the interspacing best marked on the inner webs, and all the feathers narrowly tipped with white or whitish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Peregrine Falcon Small

"Falco peregrinus. Peregrine Falcon. Duck Hawk. Great-footed Hawk. A medium-sized falcon, about as large…

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Goshawk

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

"The American goshawk &mdash the black-cap haw of Wilson &mdash <em>A. atricapillus</em> which has been erroneously regarded as identical with the common goshawk of Europe, gratly resembles that bird, however, but it is of a lighter color, and the bands are narrower and more numerous. It is sparsely distributed in northern and eastern North America." &mdash Goodrich, 1859

Goshawk

"The American goshawk &mdash the black-cap haw of Wilson &mdash A. atricapillus which has been…

An illustration of a goshawk.

Goshawk

An illustration of a goshawk.

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Harrier

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

"Circinae. Harriers. Face surrounded with an incomplete ruff (as in most owls); orifice of ear about as large as the eye, and in some cases at least with a decided conch (in this picture). Bill rather weak, not toothed or notched. Bill thickly beset with many curved radiating bristles surpassing in length the cere, which is large and tumid; tomia lobed or festooned, but neither toothed nor notched. Nostrils ovate-oblong, nearly horizontal. Superciliary shield prominent. Tarsus long and slender, scutellate before and mostly so behind, reticulate laterally; toes slender, the middle with its claw much shorter than the tarsus; a basal web between the outer and middle; all tuberculate underneath; Claws very large and sharp, much curved. Wings very long and ample; 3d and 4th quills longest; 1st shorter than 6th; outer 3-5 (in our species 4) emarginate on inner webs; 2d-5th emarginate on outer webs. Tail very long, about 2/3rds as long as the wing, nearly even or rounded, the folded wings falling short of its end. " Elliot, Coues, 1884

Harrier Ear Parts

"Circinae. Harriers. Face surrounded with an incomplete ruff (as in most owls); orifice of ear about…

Scene from "The Mouse and the Frog."

Hawk

Scene from "The Mouse and the Frog."

An illustration of a hawk swooping down to capture a baby chick.

Hawk Capturing a Chick

An illustration of a hawk swooping down to capture a baby chick.

Also known as the American harrier, the marsh hawk (<em>C. Hudsonius</em>) is nineteen to twenty-one inches long. It is of a pale gray color, the underside is white with small reddish spots.

American Marsh Hawk

Also known as the American harrier, the marsh hawk (C. Hudsonius) is nineteen to twenty-one…

"Buteo vulgaris. hawk of Europe, Upper parts dark brown, very variable in shade according to season or wear of the feathers, varied with paler brown, or even reddish-brown edging of the feathers, but without the clear fawn color of the young; the feathers of the crown showing whitish when distributed, and usually sharp, dark shaft-lines; the upper tail-coverts chestnut and white, with blackish bars. Quills and tail-feathers as below, but the inner webs of the former showing more decided dark cross-bars upon a lighter marbled-whitish ground, and the latter having broader and sharper, dark wavy bars. These large quills, and particularly those of the tail, vary much in shade according to wear, the new feathers being strongly slate-colored, the old ones plain dark brown. The tail, however, never shows any trace often rich chestnut that obtains in the adult B borealis. Iris brown, never yellow; feet, cere, gape, and base of under mandible rich chrome-yellow; rest of bill and claws bluish-black." Elliot Coues, 1884

European Hawk

"Buteo vulgaris. hawk of Europe, Upper parts dark brown, very variable in shade according to season…

An illustration of a fish hawk.

Fish hawk

An illustration of a fish hawk.

A bird of the harriers, having an incomplete facial disk and large ear pars, as in some owls, a week toothless bill, and lengthened wings, tail and legs.

Marsh Hawk

A bird of the harriers, having an incomplete facial disk and large ear pars, as in some owls, a week…

An illustration of a marsh hawk.

Marsh hawk

An illustration of a marsh hawk.

Found in America, Mexico and the West Indies, this species averages nine to ten inches in length and subsists mostly on a diet of insects.

Night Hawk

Found in America, Mexico and the West Indies, this species averages nine to ten inches in length and…

An illustration of a pigeon hawk, also known as a Merlin.

Pigeon hawk

An illustration of a pigeon hawk, also known as a Merlin.

Also known as the winter falcon, is found in California, Wisconsin, and South Carolina.

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Also known as the winter falcon, is found in California, Wisconsin, and South Carolina.

The adult female Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus). The "Sharpie" is a small hawk in the Accipitridae family of birds of prey.

Sharp-Shinned Hawk

The adult female Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus). The "Sharpie" is a small hawk in the Accipitridae…

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray, somewhat more fuscous on the wings and tail than on the body, the feathers of the hind-head with fleecy white bases, the scapulars with concealed white spots. Tail crossed by about 4 blackish bars, the first under the coverts, the last subterminal and broadest; extreme tips of the feathers white. Primaries also marked with blackish bars or spots, and whitening at their bases, in bars or indents of the inner webs. Under parts barred crosswise with rufous on a white ground, the bars on some parts cordate and connected along the shafts of the feathers, which are blackish; ear-coverts rufous; rufous mostly or entirely wanting on the cheeks, throat, and crissum, which are more or less finely pencilled with the black shafts of the feathers; crissum, however, often pure white. Axillars barred like other under parts; lining of wings white, with dusky spots." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sharp-shinned Hawk

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray,…

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Sparrow Hawk

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Several sparrow-hawks roosting on a branch.

Sparrowhawks

Several sparrow-hawks roosting on a branch.

"Accipiter nisus, the Sparrow-Hawk, which breeds throughout Europe, North Africa, Asia north of the Himalayas; extending further south in winter, but represented in South Africa. It is bluish-grey above, with white mottling on the nape and rufous cheeks, the white-tipped tail exhibiting from three to five bands, and the buffish-white under parts red-brown bars. A. H. Evans. This picture shows two adult Sparrow-hawk in a large flat nest of twigs with five young Sparrow-Hawk by a tall tree." A. H. Evans, 1900

Two Sparrow Hawk in a Large Flat Nest of Twigs with Five Young Sparrow-Hawk Beside a Tree Trunk

"Accipiter nisus, the Sparrow-Hawk, which breeds throughout Europe, North Africa, Asia north of the…

An illustration of a sparrow-hawk's skeleton.

Skeleton of a Sparrowhawk

An illustration of a sparrow-hawk's skeleton.

Head of a sparrow-hawk.

American Sparrowhawk

Head of a sparrow-hawk.

Resembles the American sparrow-hawk, feeding primarily on small birds and quadrupeds, as well as domesticated fowls.

European Sparrowhawk

Resembles the American sparrow-hawk, feeding primarily on small birds and quadrupeds, as well as domesticated…

The foot of an American sparrow-hawk.

Foot of American Sparrowhawk

The foot of an American sparrow-hawk.

In birds the muscles system is remarkable for their marked line of attachment to their tendons. Labels: 1, Occipito-Frontalis. 2, Orbicularis Palpaebrarum. 3, Temporal. 4, Masseter. 5, Sterno-cleido-Mastoid. 6, Trapezius. 7, Latissimus Dorsi. 8, Pectoralis. 9, Deltoid. 10, Biceps. 11, Triceps. 12, Gluteii. 13, Levator Caudae. 14, Rectus Femoris. 15, Gastrocnemius muscle.

The Superficial Muscles of a Hawk

In birds the muscles system is remarkable for their marked line of attachment to their tendons. Labels:…

Genus <em>Gypohierax</em>, is about the size of a goose, and is found in Western Africa, particularly Angola.

Vulture Hawk

Genus Gypohierax, is about the size of a goose, and is found in Western Africa, particularly…

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray, somewhat more fuscous on the wings and tail than on the body, the feathers of the hind-head with fleecy white bases, the scapulars with concealed white spots. Tail crossed by about 4 blackish bars, the first under the coverts, the last subterminal and broadest; extreme tips of the feathers white. Primaries also marked with blackish bars or spots, and whitening at their bases, in bars or indents of the inner webs. Under parts barred crosswise with rufous on a white ground, the bars on some parts cordate and connected along the shafts of the feathers, which are blackish; ear-coverts rufous; rufous mostly or entirely wanting on the cheeks, throat, and crissum, which are more or less finely pencilled with the black shafts of the feathers; crissum, however, often pure white. Axillars barred like other under parts; lining of wings white, with dusky spots." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sharp-shinned Hawk - Small

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray,…

A glove used in the sport hawking, employed to protect ones hand and wrist from the talons and beak of the hawk rest on it.

Hawking Glove

A glove used in the sport hawking, employed to protect ones hand and wrist from the talons and beak…

A group of falconers in the Middle Ages.

Hawking party

A group of falconers in the Middle Ages.

The kestrel, a type of small falcon native to the Mediterranean region.

Kestrel

The kestrel, a type of small falcon native to the Mediterranean region.

A lesser kestrel on a branch, eating a smaller bird.

Lesser Kestrel

A lesser kestrel on a branch, eating a smaller bird.

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

Kite

Hawks have strong talons, curved bills and keen eyesight.

"The letter C marks the point where the vessel to be exhausted is attached." -Century, 1889The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is a smallish falcon that breeds in northern North America, Europe and Asia. In North America it was once and sometimes still is colloquially called "pigeon hawk" though it is not very closely related to true hawks.

Merlin

"The letter C marks the point where the vessel to be exhausted is attached." -Century, 1889The Merlin…

An osprey, perched on a rock with a freshly caught fish pinned under one foot.

Osprey

An osprey, perched on a rock with a freshly caught fish pinned under one foot.

Illustration of the head of an osprey, a larger bird of prey.

Head of an Osprey

Illustration of the head of an osprey, a larger bird of prey.

The Canada owl, also known as the day or hawk owl. It feeds primarily on small birds.

Canada Owl

The Canada owl, also known as the day or hawk owl. It feeds primarily on small birds.

"Nearly all the hucksters of Rio carry their vegetables, fruits, and fish from house to house on their shoulders or upon their heads, instead of in carts or on donkeys." —Carpenter, 1902

Rio peddlers

"Nearly all the hucksters of Rio carry their vegetables, fruits, and fish from house to house on their…