ACCIPITERS

In falconry, the "Accipters" mainly refer to those in the genus Accipiter such as the Northern Goshawk (Gos), the Cooper's Hawk (Coop) and the Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Sharpie). These hawks mainly are found living in forested areas and their bodies are adapted for hunting in habitats where cover is thick and visibility is limited. These adaptations include short rounded wings and long rudder-like tails that enable them to manuever through deep forest cover in rapid pursuit of game. In falconry, the Accipters are often called the "shortwings" .

The Accipters are very similar in their appearance - often making it difficult to tell the difference between species. Adult plummage is generally gray all over with fine black barring on the chest, broad black bands on the tail, white under tail coverts, and red eyes. The females are about a third larger than the males. Their plummage offers them excellent camouflage in forest evnvironments, where they typically hunt from a perched position. They hunt a variety of game from small birds to medium-sized mammals.

For falconry purposes, the accipters require a high level of attention. They are fairly high-strung and require much patience. They generally are trained to hunt directly from the falconers fist or by following the falconer from perch to perch.