The order Accipitriformes contains the diurnal (active during the day) birds of prey: hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, vultures, ospreys, secretary birds. These birds have sometimes been considered part of the Falconiformes which contains the falcons, but DNA evidence indicates the orders should be separate.

The Accipitridae family contains the hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures. Subfamilies are often used to group related species, but the subfamiles for much of Accipitridae are in flux. They will be used here if there is agreement for their members.


Genus Aquila

Eagle, Booted Aquila pennata   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by:1) Lip Kee Yap  2) Chandima Gunadasa - Sri Lanka


Eagle, Golden Aquila chrysaetos   Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Hawaii
Photographed by: 1, 3) Dick Daniels - Carolina Raptor Center    2) Dick - Jungle Island of Miami   4) J. Glover of Atlanta, Georgia


Eagle, Steppe Aquila nipalensis   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) 4028mdk09  2) Lilly M - Kadzidlowo, Poland   3) Arno Meintjes
    4, 5) Dick Daniels - World of Birds, South Africa   



Eagle, Tawny Aquila rapax   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3) Arno Meintjes  4, 5) Dick Daniels - Tanzania
1) Juvenile



Eagle, Verreaux's  aka (African) Black Eagle  Aquila verreauxii  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Eagle Encounters, South Africa  2, 3) Dick - Eagle Encounters, South Africa  4) Steve Garvie


Eagle, Wahlberg's Aquila wahlbergi  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Doug Newman - Kruger National Park, South Africa  2) Ian White  3) Darren Bellerby - Maasai Mara, Kenya



Genus Circaetus
Snake-eagles

Eagle, Black-chested Snake-  Circaetus pectorali  Found: southern Africa
Photograped by: 1) Gaurav Pandit near Lake Manyara, Tanzania  2) Brian Ralphs  3) Arno Meintjes 4) Carol Foil - Tanzania


Eagle, Brown Snake-  Circaetus cinereus  Found: Africa 
Photographed by:  1) Aviceda  - Murchison Falls NP, Uganda  2) Arno Meintjes



Genus Haliaeetus
Fish eagles, also know as sea eagles.

Eagle, African Fish   Haliaeetus vocifer   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 3) AngMoKio   2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania



Genus Stephanoaetus

Eagle, Crowned Hawk- aka Crowned Eagle  Stephanoaetus coronatus  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) N Myburg  2) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo



Genus Lophaetus - 1 species

Eagle, Long-crested  Lophaetus occipitalis   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Arno Meintjes  2) Carol Foil - Kenya  3) D Gordon Robertson - Tanzania   4) Dick Daniels - Tanzania



Genus Polemaetus - 1 species

Eagle, Martial Polemaetus bellicosus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3)  Arno Meintjes   4, 5) Dick Daniels - Eagle Encounters in South Africa  6) Dick - World of Birds in South Africa
    7) Dick - Tanzania  
1,2) Juvenile




Genus Stephanoaetus

Eagle, Crowned Hawk- aka Crowned Eagle  Stephanoaetus coronatus  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) N Myburg  2) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo



Genus Terathopius - 1 species

Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Arno Meintjes   3) Dick - Tanzania








Genus Pandion - 1 species

Osprey Pandion haliaetus   Found: all continents except Antarctica
Photographed by:  1) Dick Daniels - Florida 2, 4, 5 Dick - North Carolina   3) Dick - North Carolina  6) Charlie Westerinen - California






This family has only one specied of bird.

Secretary Bird Sagittarius serpentarius   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Carol Foil -Rift Valley, Kenya  2) Brian Ralphs   3) DIck Daniels - Tanzania