Table Of ContentRAPTORS
OF THE WORLD
James Ferguson-Lees and David A. Christie
Illustrated by Kim Franklin, David Mead and Philip Burton
CONTENTS
List_OF SPECIES 6
PREFACE 14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 15
INTRODUCTION 17
USING THIS BOOK 20
Orpbers OF RAPTOR POPULATION SIZES 26
Rapror TorocRaPHy 27
IDENTIFYING RAPTORS. 40
Raptor MIGRATION 44
RaproR MOULT PATTERNS AND AGE CRITERIA by Carl Edelstam 50
RAPTOR VISION, HEARING AND OLFACTION by Carl Edelstam 5:
RAPTOR PLUMA ERNAL STRUCTURE by Carl Edelstam 57
Taxonomy, SEQU! AND NOMENCLATURE OF RAPTORS 69
ENGLisH NAMES OF RAPTORS 76
COLOUR PLATES. 80
SysTEMATIC SECTION 305,
BIBLIOGRAPHY 926
INDEX 981
LIST OF SPECIES
Superscript numbers mark adjacent forms considered allospecies; the older or oldest
name (which thus designates the superspecies) is also asterisked. Some taxa, which may
be full species but are treated here as races, are included below the species to which they
refer. The subdivisions of Accipitridae (a huge family of 240 species), Herpetotheridae
and Falconidae are artificial groupings simply to help identification.
Page Plate
Order CICONIFORMES
Family CATHARTIDAE (New World vultures)
1 Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 3054
2 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 306 4
3 Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus'* 309 4
4 Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes melambrotus* 310,04
5 California Condor Gymnogyps californianus 311 5
6 Andean Condor Vultur gryphus 313.5
7 King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa 3155
Order ACCIPITRIFORMES
Family PANDIONIDAE (Osprey)
8 — Osprey Pandion haliaetus 317, 6
Family ACCIPITRIDAE
a: bazas, honey-buzzards, atypical kites
9 African Cuckoo-hawk Aviceda cuculoides' 321 8
10 Madagascar Cuckoo-hawk Aviceda madagascariensis* 323 8
11 Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni* 324 9
12 Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata* 325 9
13. Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes 328 9
14 Grey-headed Kite Leptodon cayanensis* 329 13
l4a_ Forbes’s Kite Leptodon forbesi® 3310 =
15 Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus 332. «12
inc. wilsonit of Cuba
16 Long-tailed Honey-buzzard Henicopernis longicauda'* 33410
17 Black Honey-buzzard Henicopernis infuscatus? 33510
18 Western Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus'* 336 6
19 Eastern Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus? 34210
inc. orientalis of eastern Asia, and torquatus of the Sunda region
20. Barred Honey-buzzard Pernis celebensis 346 «10
inc, steerei of the Philippines
21 Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus 348 («14
b: Bat-hawk
22. Bat-hawk Macheiramphus alcinus 350 8
c: white-tailed kites
23 Pearl Kite Gampsonyx swainsonii 352 «14
24 White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus' 353° «12
25 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus* 355, 7
26 Australian Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris* 359 11
27 Letter-winged Kite Elanus scriptus 360 11
28 Scissor-tailed Kite Chelictinia riocourii 362 8
di: true kites
29__ Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis 36312
i s S65: 7
31__Double-toothed Kite Harpagus bidentatus 36614
32_ Rufous-thighed Kite Harpagus diodon 368 14
33 Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea'* 36913
34__ Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis® 370 13
35 Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura 872, 11
36___Black-breasted Kite Hamirostra melanosternon S74 1)
37 Red Kite Milvus milvus'* 376 cA
38 Cape Verde Kite Milvus fasciicauda* 379 7
39 Black Kite Milvus migrans 3817
inc. lineatus of eastern Asia, and aegyptius of sub-Saharan Africa
40 Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus 38615
41 Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus 38715
e les and fishii les
42 White-bellied Fish-cagle Haliaeetus leucogaster* 390 15
43 Sanford’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus sanford? 393 15
44 African Fish-eagle Haliaeetus vocifer* 39416
45 Madagascar Fish-eagle Haliaeetus vociferoides* 396 16
46 Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus 39818
47 Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus' 400 17
48 White-tailed Fish-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla’* 402017
49 — Steller’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus 406 «17
50 Lesser Fishing-eagle Ichthyophaga humilis 408 18
51 Grey-headed Fishing-eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus 410 «18
£ Palmnut Vulture
52 Palmnut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis 411 16
g: Lammergeier
53. Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus 413° 19
h: true Old World vultures
54 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 41719
55 Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus 42119
56 White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis'* 42221
57 White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus 425 22
58 — Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus! 426 21
inc. tenuirostris of the Himalayas and South-East Asia
59 Riippell’s Vulture Gyps rueppellit 498 92
60 Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis 430 20
61 Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus* 431 20
62__ Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres 435 22
63 Monk Vulture Aegypius monachus 437 20
64 Lappet-faced Vulture Aegypius tracheliotus 439 28
65 White-headed Vulture Acgypius occipitalis 2 23
66 Red-headed Vulture Aegypius calvus 44321
i: snake-eagles, serpent-eagles
67 Short-toed Snake-eagle
68 Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle
69 — Black-chested Snake-eagle
70 Brown Snake-eagle
71 ast African (Banded) Snake-eagle
72 (Smaller) Banded Snake-eagle
73 Bateleur
74 Crested Serpenteagle
75 Andaman Serpenteagle
76 Central Nicobar Serpenteagle
77 Great Nicobar Serpenteagle
78 Simeulue Serpent-eagle
79 Nias Serpent-eagle
80 Mentawai Serpenteagle
81 Natuna Serpent-eagle
82 Kinabalu Serpent-eagle
83 Bawean Serpent-eagle
84 Sulawesi Serpenteagle
85 Philippine Serpent-eagle
86 — Ryukyu Serpenteagle
87 West African Serpent-eagle
88 Madagascar Serpent-eagle
jt gymnogenes or harrier-hawks
89 African Gymnogene
90 Madagascar Gymnogene
k: harriers
91 Spotted Harrier
92 Black Harrier
93 Hen Harrier
94° Northern Harrier
95 Cinereous Harrier
96 Pallid Harrier
97 Pied Harrier
98 = Montagu’s Harrier
99 African Marsh Harrier
100 Northern Marsh Harrier
inc. spilonotus of eastern Asia
101 Australasian Marsh Harrier
inc. spilothorax of New Guinea
102° Malagasy Marsh Harrier
103. Long-winged Harrier
I: chanting-goshawks
104. Dark Chanting-goshawk
105 Eastern Chanting-goshawk
106 Pale Chanting-goshawk
m: Gabar Goshawk
107 Gabar Goshawk
Circaetus gallicus'*
Circaetus beaudouini*®
Circaetus pectoralis*
Circaetus cinereus
Circaetus fasciolatus
Circaetus cinerascens
Terathopius ecaudatus
Spilornis cheela’*
Spilornis elginé®
Spilornis minimus?
Spilornis klossi'
Spilornis abbott?
Spilornis asturinus®
Spilornis sipora’
Spilornis natunensi®
Spilornis kinabaluensis’
Spilornis baweanus'®
Spilornis rufipectus
Spilornis holospitus'®
Spilornis perplexus'®
Dryotriorchis spectabilis
Eutriorchis astur
Polyboroides typus!
Polyboroides radiatus*
Circus assimilis
Circus maurus
Circus cyaneus'*
Circus hudsonius®
Circus cinereus'
Circus macrourus
Circus melanoleucus
Circus pygargus
Circus ranivorus!
Circus aeruginosus*
Circus approximans'
Circus maillardi*
Circus buffoni
Melierax metabates'
Melierax poliopterus
Melierax canorus*
Micronisus gabar
445
448
450
451
452
454
455
457
460
461
462
463
463
464
465
23
26
26
27
25
n: true accipiters
108
109
110
lll
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
Grey-bellied Goshawk Accipiter poliogaster 516 51
Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus'* 518 41
Sulawesi Crested Goshawk Accipiter griseiceps? 520 41
African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro 521. 37
inc. macroscelides and toussenelii of West and Central Africa
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk Accipiter castanilius 36
Shikra Accipiter badius 35
Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes 39
Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis 40
Nicobar Sparrowhawk Accipiter butleri 41
Frances's Sparrowhawk Accipiter francesii 38
inc. grivaudi, pusillus and brutus of the Comoros
Spot-tailed Sparrowhawk Accipiter trinotatus 536 42
Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus 537 48
Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae* 5400 AT
Varied Goshawk Accipiter hiogaster* 541 47
inc. pulchellus of the Solomons, and natalis of Christmas Island
Grey-throated Goshawk Accipiter griseogularis 54547
Black-mantled Goshawk Accipiter melanochlamys' 5460 44
Pied Goshawk Accipiter albogularis B47 46
Fiji Goshawk Accipiter rufitorques’
New Caledonia Goshawk Accipiter haplochrous'
Moluccan Goshawk Accipiter henicogrammus
Slaty-backed Sparrowhawk Accipiter luteoschistaceus
Imitator Sparrowhawk Accipiter imitator
Grey-headed Goshawk Accipiter poliocephalus'*
New Britain Goshawk Accipiter princeps
Tiny Hawk Accipiter superciliosus'*
Semicollared Hawk Accipiter collari
Red-thighed Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus!
Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus*
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis
Besra Accipiter virgatus
Sulawesi Small Sparrowhawk Accipiter nanus
Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus'*
New Britain Sparrowhawk Accipiter brachyurust
Moluccan Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythrauchen"
Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk Accipiter rhodogaster
Ovambo Sparrowhawk Accipiter ovampensis
Madagascar Sparrowhawk Accipiter madagascariensis
Northern Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus*
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris
Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
inc. White-breasted chionogaster, Plain-breasted ventralis, and
Rufous-thighed erythronemius of Central and South America
Bicoloured Hawk Accipiter bicolor * 58650
inc. chilensis of Chile and Argentina
Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperié® 588 49
Gundlach’s Hawk Accipiter gundlach® 59050
10
151 Great Sparrowhawk
152 Henst’s Goshawk
153. Northern Goshawk
154. Meyer's Goshawk
o: hawks of uncertain position
155 Buirgers's Hawk
156 Red Hawk
157 Doria’s Hawk
158 Long-tailed Hawk
159 Grasshopper Buzzard-hawk
160 Rufous-winged Buzzard-hawk
161 White-eyed Buzzard-hawk
162 Grey-faced Buzzard-hawk
163 Lizard-buzzard
164 Crane-hawk
p: true hawks and buzzards
165. Slate-coloured Hawk
166 Plumbeous Hawk
167 Barred Hawk
168 Black-faced Hawk
169 White-browed Hawk
170 White-necked Hawk
171 Semiplumbeous Hawk
172 White Hawk
173 Grey-backed Hawk
174. Mantled Hawk
175 Rufous Crab-hawk
176 Mangrove Black Hawk
177 Common Black Hawk
178 Great Black Hawk
179 Savannah Hawk
180 Bay-winged Hawk
181 Black-collared Hawk
182 Black-chested Eagle-buzzard
183 Black Solitary-cagle
184 Crowned Solitary-eagle
185 Grey-lined Hawk
Accipiter melanoleucus
Accipiiter henstii
Accipiter gentilis
Accipiter meyerianus
Erythrotriorchis buergersi'
Erythrotriorchis radiatus*
Megatriorchis doriae
Urotriorchis macrourus
Butastur rufipennis'
Butastur liventer®
Butastur tesa’
Butastur indicus*
Kaupifalco monogrammicus
Geranospiza caerulescens
Leucopternis schistacea'*
Leucopternis plumbed
Leucopternis princeps
Leucopternis melanops'*
Leucoplernis kuhli®
Leucopternis lacernulata
Leucopternis semiplumbea
Leucopternis albicoltis'*
Leucopternis occidentalis:
Leucopternis polionota®
Buteogallus aequinoctialis
Buteogallus subtilis!
Buteogallus anthracinus*
Buteogallus urubitinga
Buteogallus meridionalis
Parabuteo unicinctus
Busarellus nigricollis
Geranoaetus melanoleucus
Harpyhaliaetus solitarius!
Harpyhaliaetus coronatus*
Buteo nitidus
inc. Grey Hawk plagiatus of North and Central America
186 Roadside Hawk
187 White-rumped Hawk
188 Ridgway’s Hawk
189 Red-shouldered Hawk
190 Broad-winged Hawk
191 Short-tailed Hawk
192. White-throated Hawk
193 Swainson’s Hawk
194 Galapagos Hawk
195 White-tailed Hawk
196 Red-backed Hawk
Buteo magnirostris
Buteo leucorrhous
Buteo ridgwayt
Buteo lineatus**
Buteo platypterus
Buteo brachyurus'*
Buteo albigula*
Buteo swainsoni
Buteo galapagoensis'
Buteo albicaudatus*
Buteo polyosoma'*
652
653
656
659
667
197 Juan Fernandez Hawk
198 Gurney’s Hawk Buteo poecilochrous
199 Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus
200 Hawaiian Hawk Buteo solitarius
201 Rufous-tailed Hawk Buteo ventralis’
202 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis*
203 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo'*
inc. Steppe Buzzard vulpinus of central Palearctic/ Africa,
and japonicus of east Asia
204 Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus*
inc. Forest Buzzard trizonatus of South Africa
205 Madagascar Buzzard Buteo brachypterus
206 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus'*
inc. cirtensis of North Africa
207 Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius
208 Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis
209 Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus
210 Red-necked Buzzard Buteo auguralis
211 Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus'*
212 Augur Buzzard Buteo augur
ine. Archer's Buzzard archeri of Somalia
q: harpy eagles
213. Crested Eagle Monphnus guianensis
214 Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja
215 New Guinea Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguineae
216 Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi
r: Indian Black Eagle
217 Indian Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis
s: Aquila eagles
Buteo exsul?
218 Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina
219 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
220 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax'*
inc. vindhiana of India
221 Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
inc. orientalis of central Eurasia
222 Imperial Eagle Aquita heliaca
ine. adalberti of the Iberian Peninsula
223 Gurney’s Eagle Aquila gurneyi
224 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
225 Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax
226 Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii
t: hawk eagles
227. Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus'*
228 African Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus spilogaster
229 Wahlberg's Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi
230 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus'*
231 Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides*
232 Ayres's Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus ayresii
82
12
233 Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle
234 Black-and-white Hawk Eagle
235 Long-crested Eagle
236. Cassin’s Hawk Eagle
237 Changeable Hawk Eagle
inc. limnaeetus of South-East Asia and floris of the Lesser Sundas
238) Mountain Hawk Eagle
inc. orientalis of Japan
239° Javan Hawk Eagle
240 Sulawesi Hawk Eagle
241 Philippine Hawk Eagle
242° Blyth’s Hawk Eagle
243 Wallace's Hawk Eagle
244 Black Hawk Eagle
245 Ornate Hawk Eagle
246 Crowned Hawk Eagle
247 Isidor’s Eagle
248 Martial Eagle
Order SAGITTARIIFORMES
Family SAGITTARIIDAE (Secretarybird)
249 Secretarybird
Order FALCONIFORMES
Family DAPTRIIDAE (caracaras)
Black Caracara
Red-throated Caracara
Carunculated Caracara
Mountain Caracara
Darwin's Caracara
Forster's Caracara
Crested Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Chimango Caracara
Family HERPETOTHERIDAE
a: Spot-winged Falconet
259 Spotwinged Falconet
b: Laughing-falcon
260 Laughing-falcon
c: forest-falcons
261 Barred Forest-falcon
262 Lined Fo:
falcon
263 Plumbeous Forest-falcon
‘backed Forest-falcon
m
Slat
5 Collared Forest-falcon
266 Buckley's Forest-falcon
Family FALCONIDAE
a: pygmy-falcons, Old World falconets
267 African Pygmy-falcon
Hieraaetus kienerii 765
Spizastur melanoleucus 767
Lophaetus occipitalis 769
Spizaetus africanus 770
Spizaetus cirrhatus 77
Spizaetus nipalensis'* 774
Spizactus bartels? 776
Spizaetus lanceolatus® 778
Spizactus philippensis' 779
Spizaetus albonige 781
Spizaetus nanus 783
Spizactus tyrannus 784
Spizaetus ornatus 786
Stephanoaetus coronatus 788
Oroaetus isidori 790
Polemaetus bellicosus 792
Sagittarius serpentarius 794
Daptrius ater 796
Daptrius americanus 797
Phatcoboenus carunculatus' 798
Phatcoboenus megalopterus* 799
Phalcoboenus albogularis* 801
Phalcoboenus australis 802
Caracara plancus 804
Milvago chimachima'* 806
Milvago chimango? 808
Spiziapteryx circumcinctus 810
Herpetotheres cachinnans 811
Micrastur ruficollis 813
Micrastur gilvicollis'* 815.
Micrastur plumbeus 817
Micrastur mirandollei 818
Micrastur semitorquatus 820
Micrastur buckleyi 822
Polihierax semitorquatus 823
268
269
270
271
272
273
White-rumped Pygmy-falcon
Collared Falconet
Black-thighed Falconet
White-fronted Falconet
Philippine Falconet
Pied Falconet
b: typical falcons
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
310
311
312
Brown Falcon
Lesser Kestrel
American Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Polihierax insignis
Microhierax caerulescens'*
Microhierax fringillarius’
Microhierax latifrons
Microhierax erythrogenys
Microhierax melanoleucus
Falco berigora
Falco naumanni
alco sparverius
Falco tinnunculus
ine. neglectus and alexandri of the Cape Verdes
Malagasy Spotted Kestrel
Mauritius Kestrel
Seychelles Kestrel
Moluccan Kestrel
Australian Kestrel
White-cyed Kestrel
Fox Kestrel
Grey Kestrel
Dickinson’s Kestrel
Madagascar Barred Kestrel
Red-headed Falcon
Western Red-footed Falcon
Eastern Red-footed Falcon
Eleonora’s Falcon
Sooty Falcon
Aplomado Falcon
Merlin
Northern Hobby
African Hobby
Oriental Hobby
Australian Hobby
Bat Falcon
Grey Falcon
New Zealand Falcon
Black Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Laggar Falcon
Lanner Falcon
Saker Falcon
Altai Falcon
Gyr Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Barbary Falcon
Orange-breasted Falcon
Taita Falcon
Falco newtoni'
Falco punctatus**
Falco araea’
Falco moluccensis'
Falco cenchroides*
Falco rupicoloides
Falco alopex
Falco ardosiaceus
Falco dickinsoni
Falco zoniventris
Falco chicquera
Falco vespertinus'*
Falco amurensis*
Falco eleonorae
Falco concolor
Falco femoralis
Falco columbarius
Falco subbuteo'*
Falco cuvier?
Falco severus*
Falco longipennis'
Falco rufigularis
Falco hypoleucos
Falco novaeseelandiae
Falco subniger
Falco mexicanus
Falco jugger
Falco biarmicus**
Faleo cherrug’*
Falco altaicus®
Falco rusticolus
Faleo peregrinus'*
Falco pelegrinoides*
Falco deiroleucus
Falco fasciinucha
107
108
108
109
ll
110
105
110
