Bird Phylogeny
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The best summary so far here of the bird phylogeny paper. Also, Greg Laden. Most definitely I was surprised and interested to learn that falcons are not closely related to eagles & hawks.
(Republished from Discover/GNXP by permission of author or representative)
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Alas, the loons have lost their privileged status as ancient. I think that that was mostly all PR anyway; loons are such an interesting bird (the densest flighted bird, for one thing.)
The unclassifiable Mesites are all endangered; within a few decades the task of science will become easier, since they won’t exist to be classified any more. Why not just forget them right off and save ourselves the distress?
Most definitely I was surprised and interested to learn that falcons are not closely related to eagles & hawks.
I was surprised to find out that falcon and hawk are not (at least strictu sensu) synonims. I thought this might be due to English being a second language to me but actually Wikipedia says that, in the wider sense, “hawk” can stand for small members of the families Falconidae, Pandionidae and Accipitridae (this last being the one that includes “true hawks” and eagles).
John, that excuse won’t work anymore, unless we get rid of all the museum specimens 😉
“Hawk” was probably functionally defined, either as a kind of raptor, or in human terms as a bird that could be used in hawking (also called falconry).
Somewhat the way that fisheries departments often have jurisdiction over whaling, crabbing, etc.