Buteoninae

The Buteoninae are a subfamily of birds of prey which consists of medium to large, broad-winged species.

They have large, powerful, hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, and powerful talons. They also have extremely keen eyesight to enable them to spot potential prey from a distance.

This subfamily contains the buzzards (buteonine hawks) with great diversity in appearance and form and some appearing eagle-like, with at least 50 species included overall in the subfamily. At one time, several types were grouped, including large assemblages such as booted eagles, but modern studies using mitochondrial DNA clarified that this subfamily was smaller than formerly classified.<ref>Lerner, H. R., Klaver, M. C., & Mindell, D. P. (2008). Molecular phylogenetics of the Buteonine birds of prey (Accipitridae). The Auk, 125(2), 304-315.</ref><ref>Lerner, H. R., & Mindell, D. P. (2005). Phylogeny of eagles, Old World vultures, and other Accipitridae based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 37(2), 327-346.</ref><ref>Lerner, H., Christidis, L., Gamauf, A., Griffiths, C., Haring, E., Huddleston, C. J., Kabra, S., Kocum, A., Krosby, M., Kvaloy, K., Mindell, D., Rasmussen, P., Rov, N., Wadleigh, R., Michael Wink & Gjershaug, J. O. (2017). Phylogeny and new taxonomy of the Booted Eagles (Accipitriformes: Aquilinae). Zootaxa 4216 (4), 301-320.</ref>

Systematics

The subfamily Buteoninae was introduced (as "Buteonina") by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Vigors in 1825 with Buteo as the type genus.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The subfamily includes about 79 currently recognized species.<ref name=ioc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Unlike the many lineages of Accipitridae which seem to have radiated out of Africa or South Asia, the Buteoninae clearly originated in the Americas based on fossil records and current species distributions (more than 75% of the extant raptors from this lineage are found in the Americas).<ref>Brodkorb, P. (1964). Catalogue of fossil birds: Part 2 (Anseriformes through Galliformes). University of Florida.</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

A genus level cladogram of the Buteoninae is shown below. It is based on a molecular phylogenetic study of the family Accipitridae by Therese Catanach and collaborators that was published in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Template:Clade

Genera

Tribe	Image	Genus	Species
Milvini Template:Small-milvine kites and sea and fish eagles.	File:Yellow-billed Kite (6608140277).jpg	Milvus Template:Small	Red kite, Milvus milvus Cape Verde kite, Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda extinct (2000) Black kite, Milvus migrans Black-eared kite, Milvus (migrans) lineatus Yellow-billed kite, Milvus aegyptius
	File:Brahminy Kite (16469397891).jpg	Haliastur Template:Small	Brahminy kite, Haliastur indus Whistling kite, Haliastur sphenurus
	File:Haliaeetus pelagicus (Rausu, Japan).jpg	Haliaeetus Template:Small	Steller's sea eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus Pallas's fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus White-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
	File:White Bellied Sea Eagle 070531b.jpg	Icthyophaga Template:Small	White-bellied sea eagle Icthyophaga leucogaster Sanford's sea eagle Icthyophaga sanfordi African fish eagle Icthyophaga vocifer Madagascar fish eagle Icthyophaga vociferoides Grey-headed fish eagle Icthyophaga ichthyaetus Lesser fish eagle Icthyophaga humilis
Buteonini Template:Small	File:White-eyed Buzzard (36082867080).jpg	Butastur Template:Small	Rufous-winged buzzard (B. liventer) Grasshopper buzzard (B. rufipennis) White-eyed buzzard (B. teesa) Grey-faced buzzard (B. indicus)
	File:Mississippi Kite.jpg	Ictinia Template:Small	Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) Plumbeous kite (Ictinia plumbea)
	File:Gavião-pernilongo - Crane Hawk.jpg	Geranospiza Template:Small	Crane hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens)
	File:Black-collared Hawk (16486633276).jpg	Busarellus Template:Small	Black-collared hawk (Busarellus nigricollis)
	File:Schneckenweih-Snail-Kite.JPG	Rostrhamus Template:Small	Snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)
	File:Helicolestes hamatus - Slender-billed kite, Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas, Brazil.jpg	Helicolestes Template:Small	Slender-billed kite (Helicolestes hamatus)
	File:Barred Hawk.jpg	Morphnarchus Template:Small	Barred hawk (Morphnarchus princeps)
	File:Plumbeous Hawk 2015-06-09 (5) (40326975931).jpg	Cryptoleucopteryx Template:Small	Plumbeous hawk (Cryptoleucopteryx plumbea)
	File:Savanna hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis).JPG	Buteogallus Template:Small	Slate-colored hawk Buteogallus schistaceus White-necked hawk Buteogallus lacernulatus Rufous crab hawk, Buteogallus aequinoctialis Common black hawk, Buteogallus anthracinus Mangrove black hawk, Buteogallus (anthracinus) subtilis – formerly considered a distinct species, but now considered a subspecies. Cuban black hawk, Buteogallus gundlachii – formerly included in B. anthracinus Great black hawk, Buteogallus urubitinga Savanna hawk, Buteogallus meridionalis Chaco eagle, Buteogallus coronatus Solitary eagle, Buteogallus solitarius
	File:Buteo magnirostris -Goias -Brazil-8.jpg	Rupornis Template:Small	Roadside hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)
	File:Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) 4 of 4 in set.jpg	Parabuteo Template:Small	Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) White-rumped hawk (Parabuteo leucorrhous)
	File:Aguila en auarahua.jpg	Geranoaetus Template:Small	White-tailed hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) Variable hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma) Black-chested buzzard-eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)
	File:Gray-backed Hawk - South-Ecuador S4E8637 (15478568822).jpg	Pseudastur Template:Small	Mantled hawk (Pseudastur polionotus) White hawk (Pseudastur albicollis) Gray-backed hawk (Pseudastur occidentalis)
	File:Leucopternis semiplumbea -CR LaSelva fRF 01.jpg	Leucopternis Template:Small	Semiplumbeous hawk (Leucopternis semiplumbeus) Black-faced hawk (Leucopternis melanops) White-browed hawk (Leucopternis kuhli)
	File:Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) - Blue Cypress Lake, Florida.jpg	Buteo Template:Small	Common buzzard, Buteo buteo Eastern buzzard, Buteo japonicus Himalayan buzzard, Buteo refectus Cape Verde buzzard, Buteo bannermani Socotra buzzard, Buteo socotraensis Red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Long-legged buzzard, Buteo rufinus Rough-legged buzzard, Buteo lagopus Ferruginous hawk, Buteo regalis Red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus Swainson's hawk, Buteo swainsoni Ridgway's hawk, Buteo ridgwayi Short-tailed hawk, Buteo brachyurus White-throated hawk, Buteo albigula Galápagos hawk, Buteo galapagoensis Gray-lined hawk, Buteo nitidus Gray hawk, Buteo plagiatus Zone-tailed hawk, Buteo albonotatus Hawaiian hawk, Buteo solitarius Rufous-tailed hawk, Buteo ventralis Mountain buzzard, Buteo oreophilus Forest buzzard, Buteo trizonatus Madagascar buzzard, Buteo brachypterus Upland buzzard, Buteo hemilasius Red-necked buzzard, Buteo auguralis Jackal buzzard, Buteo rufofuscus Augur buzzard, Buteo augur

Extinct Genera

• Template:ExtinctBermuteo Template:Small
• Template:ExtinctGarganoaetus Template:Small

External links

• Accipitridae videos on the Internet Bird Collection