Editing Accipitridae (section)

== Diet and behavior ==
[[File:Palmnutvulture.jpg|thumb|The [[palm-nut vulture]] is an unusual frugivorous accipitrid, but will also consume fish, particularly dead fish]]
[[File:Shikra (Accipiter badius) in Hyderabad W2 IMG 8968.jpg|thumb|Shikra ''[[Accipiter badius]]'' in [[Hyderabad, India]]]]
[[File:Oriental Honey-buzzard (Male) I IMG 9740.jpg|thumb|Oriental honey-buzzard ''[[Pernis ptilorhyncus]]'']]

Accipitrids are predominantly [[predator]]s and most species actively hunt for their prey. Prey is usually captured and killed in the powerful talons of the raptor and then carried off to be torn apart with a hooked bill for eating or feeding to nestlings. A majority of accipitrids are opportunistic predators that will take any prey that they can kill. However, most have a preference for a certain type of prey, which in [[harrier (bird)|harriers]] and the numerous [[Buteoninae|buteonine hawks]] (including more than 30 species in the genus ''[[Buteo]]'') tends towards small [[mammal]]s such as [[rodent]]s.

Among the raptors that mainly favor small mammals, harriers generally hunt by hovering over openings until they detect their prey and descend upon them. Due to the specificity of their hunting style, prey preferences, and habitat preferences, usually only one harrier species tends to be found per region.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hamerstrom |first=F. |date=1986 |title=Harrier, hawk of the marshes: The hawk that is ruled by a mouse |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press |location=Washington, DC |isbn=978-0-8747-4538-2}}</ref>

Buteonine hawks usually watch for prey from a perch but most species will also readily hunt on the wing, including from a high soar. Many buteonines are amongst the most generalized feeders, often feeding on any active small animal they find, and will generally eat whatever diurnal rodent or [[Lagomorpha|lagomorph]] is most locally common. Some buteonines, however, are more specialized, such as certain species in the genus ''[[Buteogallus]]'', which have evolved to specialize in feeding on [[crab]]s. Larger ''Buteogallus'', namely the [[Harpyhaliaetus|solitary eagle]]s, and ''[[Black-chested buzzard-eagle|Geranoaetus]]'' are much larger than other buteonines and seem to have become avian [[apex predator]]s of specific habitat niches—for example, [[savanna]], [[cloud forest]] and [[páramo]] in [[South America]]—and are thus honorary "eagles".<ref>Amadon, D. (1949). "Notes on Harpyhaliaetus." ''The Auk'' 53-56.</ref>{{sfn|Lerner|Mindell|2005}}

In ''[[Accipiter]]'' hawks (the most species-rich accipitrid genus with nearly 50 extant species), prey is mainly other [[bird]]s. ''Accipiter''s are in general forest- and thicket-dwelling species. ''Accipiter'' hawks usually ambush birds in dense vegetation, a dangerous hunting method that requires great agility. Many smaller tropical species of ''Accipiter'' eat nearly equal portions of [[insect]]s and [[reptile]]s and [[amphibian]]s as they do of birds while some of the larger species have become more generalized and may feed extensively on [[rodent]]s and [[Lagomorpha|lagomorph]]s, as well as other various non-avian animals.

Most accipitrids will supplement their diet with non-putrid [[carrion]], but none are specialized for this as well as the 14–16 species of [[Old World vulture|vultures]], which have evolved very large bodies (which leave them equipped to fill their crop with carrion); weaker, less specialized feet than other accipitrids; large wingspans to spend long periods of time in flight over openings scanning for carcasses; and complex social behavior in order to establish a mixed species hierarchy at carrion. The [[New World vulture]]s have attained several similar characteristics, but only through convergent evolution, and are seemingly not directly related to Old World vultures and other accipitrids. The [[lammergeier]] (''Gypaetus barbatus'') is an aberrant cousin of the Old World vultures that has maintained strong feet that it uses to carry and drop large bones in order to crack them open to feed on bone marrow, their primary food, a technique they also sometimes use for live prey items, like [[tortoise]]s.{{sfn|Ferguson-Lees|Christie|2001|p=}}

A few species may opportunistically feed on fruit. In one species, the [[palm-nut vulture]] (''Gypohierax angolensis'') (possibly not closely related to other "vultures"), it may form more than half of the diet.<ref name="diet-Thomson1957" /> Most accipitrids will not eat plant material.

Insects are taken exclusively by around 12 species, in great numbers by 44 additional species, and opportunistically by a great many others.{{sfn|Thiollay|1994}} The diet of the honey-buzzards includes not only the adults and young of social insects such as wasps and bees, but the honey and combs from their nests.{{sfn|Shiu|Tokita|Morishita|Hiraoka|2006}}

The [[snail kite]] (''Rostrhamus sociabilis''), [[slender-billed kite]] (''Helicolestes hamatus'') and [[hook-billed kite]]s (''Chondrohierax uncinatus'') are specialists in consuming [[snail]]s, which usually constitute 50–95% of their diet. Other "[[Kite (bird)|kites]]"—a loose assemblance of smallish raptors, many of which are strong, buoyant fliers—are divided into two groups. One, exclusively in the Old World, the [[Milvinae|milvine]] or "large" kites, are often quite common, very generalized and often weakly predaceous feeders whereas the other kites, known as [[Elaninae|elanine]] or "small" kites and cosmopolitan in distribution, are supremely aerial, active hunters that generally alternate their primary food between insects and small mammals. One species allied with the latter kite group, the [[bat hawk]] (''Macheiramphus alcinus''), has come to specialize in hunting [[bat]]s.<ref>Mikula, P., Morelli, F., Lučan, R. K., Jones, D. N., & Tryjanowski, P. (2016). "Bats as prey of diurnal birds: a global perspective." ''Mammal Review''.</ref>

"[[Eagle]]s" are several raptors that are not necessarily closely related, but can be broadly defined by large body size (larger than other raptors, excluding vultures) and the taking of typically larger prey, including mid-sized mammals and larger birds. The most diverse group of eagles is the "[[Aquilinae|booted eagles]]", a variable group of about 38 species defined by their feathering covering their legs (shared by only a couple of buteonine species).

Most accipitrids usually hunt prey smaller than themselves. However, many accipitrids of almost all sizes have been recorded as capturing and then flying with prey of equal weight or even slightly heavier than themselves in their talons, a feat that requires great strength. Occasionally, an eagle or other raptor that kills prey considerably heavier than itself (too heavy for the raptor to carry and fly with) will then have to leave prey at the site of the kill and later return repeatedly to feed or dismember and bring to a perch or nest piece by piece. This has the advantage of providing a surplus of food but has the disadvantage of potentially attracting scavengers or other predators which can steal the kill or even attack the feeding accipitrid. Using this method, accipitrids such as the [[golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos''), [[wedge-tailed eagle]] (''Aquila audax''), [[martial eagle]] (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') and [[crowned eagle]] (''Stephanoaetus coronatus'') have successfully hunted [[Even-toed ungulate|ungulate]]s, such as [[deer]] and [[antelope]], and other large animals ([[kangaroo]]s and [[emu]]s in the wedge-tailed) weighing more than 30&nbsp;kg (66&nbsp;lb), 7–8 times their own mass. More typical prey for these powerful booted eagle species weigh between {{convert|0.5|and|5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Ferguson-Lees|Christie|2001|p=}}<ref name= Watson>{{cite book|author=Watson, Jeff |title=The Golden Eagle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aj5MNvCkun0C|year=2010|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-4081-1420-9}}</ref>

The ''[[Haliaeetus]]'' eagles and the [[osprey]] (''Pandion haliaetus'') mainly prefer to prey on [[fish]], which comprising more than 90% of food for the osprey and some fish eagles. These large acciptrids may supplement their diets with aquatic animals other than fish, especially [[Haliaeetus|sea eagles]], which also hunt large numbers of [[water bird]]s and are expert [[Kleptoparasitism|kleptoparasites]].

Reptiles and amphibians are hunted by almost all variety of acciptrids when the opportunity arises and may be favored over other prey by some eagles, i.e. ''[[Spizaetus]]'' hawk-eagles and the "eagles" in ''[[Buteogallus]]'', and several species of [[Buteoninae|buteonine hawks]] found in the tropics. [[Aviceda|Bazas]] and forest hawks in the genus ''[[Accipiter]]'' may take reptiles from trees whilst other species may hunt them on the ground. Snakes are the primary prey of the snake-eagles (''[[Circaetus]]'') and serpent-eagles (''[[Spilornis]]'' and ''[[Dryotriorchis]]''). The mammal-hunting, huge and endangered [[Philippine eagle]] (''Pithecophaga jefferyi'') is most closely related to the snake-eagles.{{sfn|Thiollay|1994}}{{sfn|Ferguson-Lees|Christie|2001|p=}} Another striking aberration of the snake-eagle lineage is the [[bateleur]] (''Terathopius ecaudatus''), which has evolved unusually bright plumage in adults, with a huge red cere, red feet, bright yellow bill, and boldly contrasting grey-and-white markings over black plumage. The bateleur feeds extensively on carrion and almost any other feeding opportunity that presents itself.<ref>Steyn, P. (1980). "Breeding and food of the bateleur in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)." ''Ostrich'' 51(3); 168-178.</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Moreau | first1 = R. E. | year = 1945 | title = On the Bateleur, especially at the Nest | doi = 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1945.tb02991.x | journal = Ibis | volume = 87 | issue = 2| pages = 224–249 }}</ref>