The wingspan of a hawk is less than that of an eagle's. Eagles, on the other hand, use the heights at which they can soar and their size as a natural means of protection. And this is a hawk. Members of the Spizaetus species—e.g., the ornate hawk eagle (S. ornatus) of tropical America—have short wide wings, long rounded tails, and ornamented heads. How to Deter Hawks From My Backyard Birds By Jaimie Zinski Updated July 17, 2017 Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. A group of hawks is called a cast. Distinguishing between hawks and falcons is a great practice for beginners because the two types of birds of prey are fairly easy to tell apart, so, efforts in this direction are almost certain to be rewarded, and these early successes can spur first-timers on to more advanced activities. Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—2 in North America, 9 in Central and South America, and 3 in Australia. It is a member of the booted eagle subfamily, with signature feathers, absent in tropical raptors from outside this subfamily, covering the tarsus. Okay, okay, I know this sounds a little (okay, a lot) stupid, but I can't tell the difference between a hawk and a turkey vulture if they reasonably far in the sky. Generally, Eagles are larger and weight more than Hawks, including having larger wingspan and talons. Hawks, a varied group of raptors, usually fall somewhere in the middle. Two excellent answers so far, but I want to give my own: This is an eagle. An immature bald eagle could more easily be confused with a hawk though. This is a falcon. Last Modified on June 13, 2019 By: Harold G. There are many types of birds which give the impression of being same and until the proper analysis is done it is hard to tell which bird belongs to which family. The hawk eagles (genera Spizastur, Spizaetus, Lophaetus, and Hieraaetus, subfamily Accipitrinae) are lightly built eagles that have fully feathered legs and large beaks and feet.They hunt all kinds of small animals. Even so, they still get together in groups which are called convocations. Whenever I see a big dark bird flying around outside I quickly put my chickens inside their coop. If you see a juvenile bald eagle, it often gets confused with a red-tailed hawk. Eagles are among the largest birds of prey, while certain species of falcon weigh less than 50 grams. The red-tailed hawk has red tail feathers if it is an adult, so it is easier to tell the difference between it and a bald eagle. The changeable hawk-eagle or crested hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae.More informal or antiquated English common names include the marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle. The changeable hawk-eagle or crested hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae.More informal or antiquated English common names include the marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle. Bald eagles have the characteristic white head and tail, whereas hawks are generally various shades of brown, with some having very light colored undersides. Eagle vs. Hawk. Hawk or Falcon? Because, Hawks and Falcons are very similar in terms of size and looks. Mature eagles are much larger than hawks. Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae.Eagles belong to several groups of genera, not all of which are closely related.Most of the 60 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Hawks are more likely to flock as they have more chances of survival when they do.