Hawks & Eagles of New England


Northern Goshawk

Hawks & Eagles

Order: Accipitriformes
Family:  Accipitridae





Northern Goshawk
Photo credit: USFWS

Learn interesting facts about New England hawks and eagles (Family: Accipitridae).
Find photos, sounds, range information, and identification tips for each raptor.

Members of this family are found world-wide, on all continents except Antarctica.

Hawks and eagles have hooked beaks and strong feet with sharp talons, as do all birds of prey. Females are larger in size than males in most Accipitridae species.

Hawks and eagles are meat eaters and hunt during daytime hours. Most species depend primarily on their keen vision to locate prey. However, their excellent hearing also draws them to the calls of their prey.

(The New England states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island.)

See also: New England Birds of Prey