''Microspizias'' is a genus of

bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

in the family

Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...

. It contains the following species: * Tiny hawk (''Microspizias superciliosus'') *

Semicollared hawk The semicollared hawk (''Microspizias collaris'') is a rare bird of prey species in the family Accipitridae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is potent ...

(''Microspizias collaris'') Both species were formerly classified in the genus ''

Accipiter ''Accipiter'' () is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. Some species are called sparrowhawks, but there are many sparrowhawks in other genera such as '' Tachyspiza''. These birds are slender with short, broad, rounded wings and ...

'', but a 2021 report, based on earlier research which found them to be strongly phylogenetically distinct, described a new genus (''Microspizias'') for them. This was also followed by the

International Ornithological Congress International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

and the American Ornithological Society.

Etymology

''Microspizias'' derives from the Greek word ''micros'' ("small") and ''spizias'' ("hawk"), literally translating to "small hawk".

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic evidence indicates that ''Microspizias'' is the sister genus to the

lizard buzzard The lizard buzzard (''Kaupifalco monogrammicus''), or lizard hawk, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Kaupifalco''. It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its name, it may be more clos ...

(''Kaupifalco monogrammicus'') of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and falls outside the

Accipitrinae The Accipitrinae are the Family (biology), subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks. The subfamily contains 73 species that are divided into 11 genera. It includes the genus ''Accipiter'' which formerly included many more sp ...

subfamily, hence why both species were moved out of ''Accipiter.'' It belongs to the subfamily Harpaginae.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q109318419 Microspizias Bird genera *