Hieraaetus

Hieraaetus
H. wahlbergi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Aquilinae
Genus: Hieraaetus
Kaup, 1844
Type species
Falco pennatus
Species

See text

The genus Hieraaetus, sometimes known as small eagles or hawk-eagles, denotes a group of smallish eagles usually placed in the accipitrid subfamilies Buteoninae[1] or Aquilinae.[2]

They are generally medium-sized birds of prey inhabiting Europe, Asia, Africa, New Guinea and Australia. However, a recently extinct species, the New Zealand Haast's eagle, was the largest eagle ever known, weighing up to 17 kg (37 lb), with a 3 m (9.8 ft) wingspan.[3]

  1. ^ Peters, James Lee (1931). Check-list of birds of the world: volume 1. Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.: Harvard University Press. Digitized copy
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference LM2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NZGeo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).