Bill Hilton Jr. The English, or common, names of birds are often confusing. Although one might suppose that the two terms are useful in distinguishing lineages of raptors, in reality, the two have little, if any, taxonomic meaning. In fact, eagles often are more closely related to hawks than to other eagles, and vice versa. The linguistic histories of the two terms suggest an explanation. Whether such birds were actually eagles or large vultures is another question in itself.
Many hawks are, in fact, quite small.
Thus, eagles are eagles and hawks are hawks mainly because of differences in size. Eagles are scaled-up versions of hawks and are fierce, diurnal birds of prey with especially large wingspans, beaks, and talons. Some large hawks are bigger than some small eagles. This species, which is sometimes called the Crested Hawk Eagle, derives it name from the fact that races of the species differ considerably in plumage coloration and pattern, with several island forms even lacking the distinctive crest of the predominant mainland form. Eagle owls are some of the largest and most powerful owls.