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Microspizias

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Microspizias
Tiny hawk (M. superciliosus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Harpaginae
Genus: Microspizias
Sangster, Kirwan, Fuchs, Dickinson, Elliott, A & Gregory, S, 2021
Species

Microspizias is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It contains the following species:[1]

Both species were formerly classified in the genus Accipiter, but a 2021 report, based on earlier research which found them to be strongly phylogenetically distinct, described a new genus (Microspizias) for them.[2] This was also followed by the International Ornithological Congress[1] and the American Ornithological Society.

Etymology

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Microspizias derives from the Greek word micros ("small") and spizias ("hawk"), literally translating to "small hawk".[2]

Taxonomy

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Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Microspizias is the sister genus to the lizard buzzard (Kaupifalco monogrammicus) of Africa and falls outside the Accipitrinae subfamily, hence why both species were moved out of Accipiter.[2] It belongs to the subfamily Harpaginae.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  2. ^ a b c Sangster, George; Kirwan, Guy M.; Fuchs, Jérôme; Dickinson, Edward C.; Elliott, Andy; Gregory, Steven M. S. (2021). "A new genus for the tiny hawk Accipiter superciliosus and semicollared hawk A. collaris (Aves: Accipitridae), with comments on the generic name for the crested goshawk A. trivirgatus and Sulawesi goshawk A. griseiceps". Vertebrate Zoology. 71: 419–424. doi:10.3897/vz.71.e67501. ISSN 2625-8498.