Chickenhawks or Chicken Hawks
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Chickenhawk or Chicken Hawk is an unofficial designation for three species of North American hawk -- the Cooper's Hawk, the Sharp-shinned Hawk or the Red-tailed Hawk. The term Chicken Hawk, however, is incorrect. Although Cooper and Sharp-shinned hawks may attack other birds, chickens do not make a up a significant amount of their diet; red-tailed hawks have varied diets though they too would be unlikely to attack poultry.
Historically, the name Chicken hawk has misinterpreted these birds as pests, justifying their slaughter. Officially, per the American Ornithologists' Union's bird naming, the term has become obsolete as applied to birds, but still enjoys widespread colloquial use in many rural areas of where either of the three species has been seen as a threat to small outdoor animals kept as pets or livestock, especially chickens. While the term is still widely used by those who keep such animals, it is too ambiguous to be of any scholarly usefulness; thus, the term's propriety (or lack thereof) depends entirely upon context.
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