Accipitriformes

The Accipitriformes (; from Latin accipiter 'hawk' and formes 'having the form of') are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, kites, ospreys and secretary birds, but not falcons or seriemas. The generally nocturnal owls, also considered birds of prey, are a separate order from the accipitriformes. For a long time, the majority view was to include them with the falcons in the Falconiformes, but many authorities now recognize a separate order Accipitriformes. A DNA study published in 2008 indicated that falcons are not closely related to the Accipitriformes, being instead more closely related to parrots and passerines. Since then, the split and the placement of the falcons next to the parrots in taxonomic order has been adopted by the American Ornithological Society's South American Classification Committee (SACC), its North American Classification Committee (NACC), and the International Ornithological Congress (IOC). The British Ornithologists' Union already recognized the Accipitriformes, and has adopted the move of Falconiformes. The DNA-based proposal and the NACC and IOC classifications include the New World vultures in the Accipitriformes, while the SACC classifies the New World vultures as a separate order, the Cathartiformes. However, a 2021 analysis of mitochondrial genes suggested a stronger phylogenetic relationship between Cathartiformes and Accipitriformes, and they are now normally included within the Accipitriformes as the family Cathartidae. When Cathartiformes is considered a separate order, sister to Accipitriformes, Accipitriformes sensu lato is called Accipitrimorphae.