This subfamily are mainly woodland birds with short broad wings, long tails, and high visual acuity.

All these groups are members of the family Accipitridae, which includes hawks and buzzards as well as kites, harriers, and eagles.

[3] The common names of some birds include the term "hawk", reflecting traditional usage rather than taxonomy.

[4] Aristotle listed eleven types of ἱέρακες (hierakes, hawks; singular ἱέραξ, hierax): aisalōn (merlin), asterias, hypotriorchēs, kirkos, leios, perkos, phassophonos, phrynologos, pternis, spizias, and triorchēs.

Pliny numbered sixteen kinds of hawks, but named only aigithos, epileios, kenchrēïs (kestrel), kybindis, and triorchēs (buzzard).

Unlike some birds, but similar to other diurnal raptors, most hawk species are violet-sensitive but cannot perceive ultraviolet light.

[13][14][15] Hawks additionally have two foveae (depressions in the retina with high photoreceptor density) in each eye, one centrally-placed and the other temporally-placed.

Studies have shown that it is better for a hawk to arrive at its destination as early as possible to have first pick of mates, territory, food, and other resources.

Flight path is another important factor in migration because a bird's route can greatly affect the conditions it encounters during its journey.

[20] Hawkwatching is a citizen scientist activity that monitors hawk migration and provides data to the scientific community.

[21] Past observations have indicated that, while hawks can easily adapt to most environments, they prefer open habitats such as deserts and fields, likely because it is easier to spot prey.

As they are able to live anywhere, they can also be found in mountainous plains and tropical, moist areas such as Central America, the West Indies, and Jamaica.

[citation needed] Hawks fly by flapping their wings rapidly then relying on momentum to glide through the air.

[23] Hawks feed on a variety of smaller animals such as snakes, lizards, fish, mice, rabbits, squirrels, birds, or any other type of small game that is found on the ground.

The term reportedly originated in the United States during the 1810 debates in Congress over a possible war with Great Britain.

The sports teams of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio officially became known as the RedHawks in 1997 after changing the name from Redskins.